ANNIE  FELLOW; 


JOHNSTON 

COSY.  CORNER- 


Qicrc  fcjio  jrigate 


^ 


TWO   LITTLE   KNIGHTS   OF 
KENTUCKY 


Works  of 

Annie  Fellows  Johnston 


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PLANS. 


TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF 
KENTUCKY 

WHO    WERE 

THE  "LITTLE  COLONEL'S"  NEIGHBOURS 


BY 

ANNIE   FELLOWS   JOHNSTON 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  LITTLE  COLONEL,"  "  BIG  BROTHER,'1 

"OLE  MAMMY'S  TORMENT,"  "THE  GATE 

OF  THE  GIANT  SCISSORS,"  ETC. 


Illustrates  bg 
ETHELDRED  B.   BARRY 


BOSTON 

L  C  PAGE   AND  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


Copyright, 
BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED) 


All  rights  reserved 


Eleventh  Impression,  March,  1906 


Colonial 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co- 
Boston,  U.  S.  A. 


TO 

MARGARET  AND  ALBION, 

MARY,  HELEN,  LURA  AND  ROSE, 

WILLIAM  AND  GEORGE 


2205084 


Knighthood  has  not  passed  away.  The  flower  of 
Chivalry  has  blossomed  anew  in  this  New  World,  and 
America,  too,  has  her  "  Hall  of  the  Shields." 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Two  TRAMPS  AND  A  BEAR    .        .        .11 
II.    GINGER  AND  THE  BOYS  .        .        .        .31 
III.    THE  VALENTINE  PARTY          .        .        .51 
A  FIRE  AND  A  PLAN     ....      76 
JONESY'S  BENEFIT  .        .        .  .98 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  Two  RESCUES     124 
A  GAME  OF  INDIAN       ....     143 


IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 


"FAIRCHANCE" 169 


PAGE 

PLANS Frontispiece 

"BEHIND  HIM  CAME  A  BOY  NO  LARGER  THAN  KEITH"  IJ 

"ACROSS  THE  SNOWY  FIELDS"  .  .  .  .  .  27 

VIRGINIA 34 

"'THE  PRETTIEST  VALENTINE  OF  ALL  MUST  GO  TO 

POOR  PAPA'" 43 

"•DAPHNE,  WHAT'S  DEM  CHILLUN  ALLUZ  RACIN' 

DOWN  TO  DE  SPRING-HOUSE  FO1  ?  '  "  ...  51 

"  '  I  HATE  TO  GO  OFF  AND  LEAVE  HIM  IN  THE  DARK  '  "  62 
"WITH  THE  TALL  SILVER  CANDLESTICK  HELD  HIGH 

IN  BOTH  HANDS"   c 67 

"'WILL  YOU    KEEP    IT   TO    REMEMBER   ME   BY  ?  "*  .         73 

"  HE   WAS   CRYING   VIOLENTLY    NOW  "   .  .  .  .89 

"THERE     WAS     ONE     BOOK     WHICH    KEITH    CARRIED 

AROUND   W[TH    HIM" 103 

9 


IO  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST no 

"'I'D  LIKE  TO  BE  A  KNIGHT  ALWAYS'"  .  .  .  Il8 
"THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  HAD  BEEN  LOWERED  INTO 

A  DEEP  FEED-BIN" 127 

THE  RESCUE 131 

VIRGINIA  AND  THE  CALF 145 

"'GivE  ME  MY  BOW'" 151 

"NOBODY  CAME" 158 

"LIVE  PURE,  SPEAK  TRUTH,  RIGHT  THE  WRONG, 

FOLLOW  THE  KING.  ELSE  WHEREFORE  BORN?"  1 72 

"THERE  WERE  THREE  WITH  HIM"  ....  185 


TWO   LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF 
KENTUCKY. 


CHAPTER   I. 

TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR. 

IT  was  the  coldest  Saint  Valentine's  eve  that 
Kentucky  had  known  in  twenty  years.  In 
Lloydsborough  Valley  a  thin  sprinkling  of  snow 
whitened  the  meadows,  enough  to  show  the 
footprints  of  every  hungry  rabbit  that  loped 
across  them ;  but  there  were  not  many  such 
tracks.  It  was  so  cold  that  the  rabbits,  for 
all  their  thick  fur,  were  glad  to  run  home  and 
hide.  Nobody  cared  to  be  out  long  in  such 
weather,  and  except  now  and  then,  when  an 
ice-cutter's  wagon  creaked  up  from  some  pond 
ii 


12        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

to  the  frozen  pike,  the  wintry  stillness  was 
unbroken. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  little  country  depot 
a  long  row  of  icicles  hung  from  the  eaves. 
Even  the  wind  seemed  to  catch  its  breath 
there,  and  hurry  on  with  a  shiver  that  reached 
to  the  telegraph  wires  overhead.  It  shivered 
down  the  long  stovepipe,  too,  inside  the  wait- 
ing-room. The  stove  had  been  kept  red-hot 
all  that  dull  gray  afternoon,  but  the  window- 
panes  were  still  white  with  heavy  frost- 
work. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  five  o'clock  train  was 
due  from  the  city,  two  boys  came  running  up 
the  railroad  track  with  their  skates  in  their 
hands.  They  were  handsome,  sturdy  little  fel- 
lows, so  well  buttoned  up  in  their  leather 
leggins  and  warm  reefer  overcoats  that  they 
scarcely  felt  the  cold.  Their  cheeks  were  red 
as  winter  apples,  from  skating  against  the  wind, 
and  they  were  almost  breathless  after  their  long 
run  up-hill  to  the  depot.  Racing  across  the 
platform,  they  bumped  against  the  door  at  the 
same  instant,  burst  it  noisily  open,  and  slammed 
it  behind  them  with  a  bang  that  shook  the 
entire  building. 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  1 3 

"What  kind  of  a  cyclone  has  struck  us 
now  ? "  growled  the  ticket  agent,  who  was  in 
the  next  room.  Then  he  frowned,  as  the  first 
noise  was  followed  by  the  rasping  sound  of  a 
bench  being  dragged  out  of  a  corner,  to  a  place 
nearer  the  stove.  It  scraped  the  bare  floor  every 
inch  of  the  way,  with  a  jarring  motion  that  made 
the  windows  rattle. 

Stretching  himself  half-way  out  of  his  chair, 
the  ticket  agent  pushed  up  the  wooden  slide 
of  the  little  window  far  enough  for  him  to  peep 
into  the  waiting-room.  Then  he  hastily  shoved 
it  down  again. 

"  It's  the  two  little  chaps  who  came  out  from 
the  city  last  week,"  he  said  to  the  station- 
master.  "  The  Maclntyre  boys.  You'd  think 
they  own  the  earth  from  the  way  they  dash  in 
and  take  possession  of  things." 

The  station-master  liked  boys.  He  stroked 
his  gray  beard  and  chuckled.  "  Well,  Meyers," 
he  said,  slowly,  "when  you  come  to  think  of 
it,  their  family  always  has  owned  a  pretty  fair 
slice  of  the  earth  and  its  good  things,  and  those 
same  little  lads  have  travelled  nearly  all  over  it, 
although  the  oldest  can't  be  more  than  ten.  It 
would  be  a  wonder  if  they  didn't  have  that 


14   TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

lordly  way  of  making  themselves  at  home 
wherever  they  go." 

"  Will  they  be  out  here  all  winter  ? "  asked 
Meyers,  who  was  a  newcomer  in  Lloydsborough. 

"Yes,  their  father  and  mother  have  gone  to 
Florida,  and  left  them  here  with  their  grand- 
mother Maclntyre." 

"  I  imagine  the  old  lady  has  her  hands  full," 
said  Meyers,  as  a  sound  of  scuffling  in  the  next 
room  reached  him. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  about  that,  now,"  said  the 
station-master.  "They're  noisy  children,  to  be 
sure,  and  just  boiling  over  with  mischief,  but  if 
you  can  find  any  better-mannered  little  gentle- 
men anywhere  in  the  State  when  there's  ladies 
around,  I'd  like  you  to  trot  'em  out.  They  came 
down  to  the  train  with  their  aunt  this  morning, 
Miss  Allison  Maclntyre,  and  their  politeness  to 
her  was  something  pretty  to  see,  I  can  tell  you, 
sir." 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  in  which  the 
boys  could  be  heard  laughing  in  the  next 
room. 

"  No,"  said  the  station-master  again,  "  I'm 
thinking  it's  not  the  boys  who  will  be  keeping 
Mrs.  Maclntyre's  hands  full  this  winter,  so 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  1 5 

much  as  that  little  granddaughter  of  hers  that 
came  here  last  fall, — little  Virginia  Dudley.  You 
can  guess  what's  she  like  from  her  nickname. 
They  call  her  Ginger.  She  had  always  lived  at 
some  army  post  out  West,  until  her  father,  Cap- 
tain Dudley,  was  ordered  to  Cuba.  He  was 
wounded  down  there,  and  has  never  been  en- 
tirely well  since.  When  he  found  they  were 
going  to  keep  him  there  all  winter,  he  sent  for 
his  wife  last  September,  and  there  was  nothing 
to  do  with  Virginia  but  to  bring  her  back  to 
Kentucky  to  her  grandmother." 

"  Oh,  she's  the  little  girl  who  went  in  on  the 
train  this  morning  with  Miss  Allison,"  said  the 
ticket  agent.  "  I  suppose  the  boys  have  come 
down  to  meet  them.  They'll  have  a  long  time 
to  wait." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on  behind 
the  ticket  window,  the  two  boys  stretched  them- 
selves out  on  a  long  bench  beside  the  stove. 
The  warm  room  made  them  feel  drowsy  after 
their  violent  out-door  exercise.  Keith,  the 
younger  one,  yawned  several  times,  and  finally 
lay  down  on  the  bench  with  his  cap  for  a  pillow. 
He  was  eight  years  old,  but  curled  up  in  that 
fashion,  with  his  long  eyelashes  resting  on  his 


1 6    TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

red  cheeks,  and  one  plump  little  hand  tucked 
under  his  chin,  he  looked  much  younger. 

"Wake  me  up,  Malcolm,  when  it's  time  foi 
Aunt  Allison's  train,"  he  said  to  his  brother. 
"  Ginger  would  never  stop  teasing  me  if  she 
should  find  me  asleep." 

Malcolm  unbuttoned  his  reefer,  and,  after 
much  tugging,  pulled  out  a  handsome  little  gold 
watch.  "  Oh,  there's  a  long  time  to  wait !  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  We  need  not  have  left  the  pond 
so  early,  for  the  train  will  not  be  here  for 
twenty-five  minutes.  I  believe  I'll  curl  up 
here  myself,  till  then.  I  hope  they  won't 
forget  the  valentines  we  sent  for." 

The  room  was  very  still  for  a  few  minutes. 
There  was  no  sound  at  all  except  the  crackling  of 
the  fire  and  the  shivering  of  the  wind  in  the 
long  stovepipe.  Then  some  one  turned  the 
door-knob  so  cautiously  and  slowly  that  it 
unlatched  without  a  sound. 

It  was  the  cold  air  rushing  into  the  room  as 
the  door  was  pushed  ajar  that  aroused  the  boys. 
After  one  surprised  glance  they  sat  up,  for  the 
man,  who  was  slipping  into  the  room  as  stealthily 
as  a  burglar,  was  the  worst-looking  tramp  they 
had  ever  seen.  There  was  a  long,  ugly  red  scar 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR. 


across  his  face,  running  from  his  cheek  to  the 

middle  of  his  forehead,  and  partly  closing  one 

eye.     Perhaps 

it  was  the  scar 

that  gave  him 

such  a  queer, 

evil  sort  of  an 

expression ; 

even     without 

it     he    would 

have    been    a 

repulsive  sight. 

His       clothes 

were  dirty  and 

ragged,  and  his 

breath      had 

frozen    in 


ici- 
his 
red 


cles     on 

stubby 

beard. 

Behind  him 
came  a  boy  no 
larger  than  Keith,  but  with  a  hard,  shrewd  look 
in  his  hungry  little  face  that  made  one  feel  he 
had  lived  a  long  time  and  learned  more  than 
was  good  for  him  to  know.  It  was  plain  to 


1 8        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

be  seen  that  he  was  nearly  starved,  and  suf- 
fering from  the  intense  cold.  His  bare  toes 
peeped  through  their  ragged  shoes,  and  he 
had  no  coat.  A  thin  cotton-  shirt  and  a  piece 
of  an  old  gray  horse-blanket  was  all  that  pro- 
tected his  shoulders  from  the  icy  wind  of  that 
February  afternoon.  He,  too,  crept  in  noise- 
lessly, as  if  expecting  to  be  ordered  out  at  the 
first  sound,  and  then  turned  to  coax  in  some 
animal  that  was  tied  to  one  end  of  the  rope 
which  he  held. 

Malcolm  and  Keith  looked  on  with  interest, 
and  sprang  up  excitedly  as  the  animal  finally 
shuffled  in  far  enough  for  the  boy  to  close  the 
door  behind  it.  It  was  a  great,  shaggy  bear, 
taller  than  the  man  when  it  sat  up  on  its 
haunches  beside  him. 

The  tramp  looked  uneasily  around  the  room 
for  an  instant,  but  seeing  no  one  save  the  two 
children,  ventured  nearer  the  stove.  The  boy 
followed  him,  and  the  bear  shuffled  along  behind 
them  both,  limping  painfully.  Not  a  word  was 
said  for  a  moment.  The  boys  were  casting 
curious  glances  at  the  three  tramps  who  had 
come  in  as  noiselessly  as  if  they  had  snowed 
down,  and  the  man  was  watching  the  boys 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  ig 

with  shrewd  eyes.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  look- 
ing at  them,  but  at  the  end  of  his  survey  he 
could  have  described  them  accurately.  He  had 
noticed  every  detail  of  their  clothing,  from  their 
expensive  leather  leggins  to  their  fur-lined 
gloves.  He  glanced  at  Malcolm's  watch-chain 
and  the  fine  skates  which  Keith  swung  back 
and  forth  by  a  strap,  and  made  up  his  mind, 
correctly,  too,  that  the  pockets  of  these  boys 
rarely  lacked  the  jingle  of  money  which  they 
could  spend  as  they  pleased. 

When  he  turned  away  to  hold  his  hands  out 
toward  the  stove,  he  rubbed  them  together 
with  satisfaction,  for  he  had  discovered  more 
than  that.  He  knew  from  their  faces  that 
they  were  trusting  little  souls,  who  would 
believe  any  story  he  might  tell  them,  if  he 
appealed  to  their  sympathies  in  the  right 
way.  He  was  considering  how  to  begin,  when 
Malcolm  broke  the  silence. 

"  Is  that  a  trained  bear  ? " 

The  man  nodded. 

"  What  can  it  do  ? "  was  the  next  question. 

"  Oh,  lots  of  things,"  answered  the  man,  in  a 
low,  whining  voice.  "  Drill  like  a  soldier,  and 
dance,  and  ride  a  stick."  He  kept  his  shifty 


2O       TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

eyes  turning  constantly  toward  the  door,  as  if 
afraid  some  one  might  overhear  him. 

"  I'd  put  him  through  his  paces  for  you  young 
gen'lemen,"  he  said,  "  but  he  got  his  foot  hurt 
for  one  thing,  and  another  is,  if  we  went  to 
showing  off,  we  might  be  ordered  to  move  on. 
This  is  the  first  time  we've  smelled  a  fire  in 
twenty-four  hours,  and  we  ain't  in  no  hurry  to 
leave  it,  I  can  tell  you." 

"Will  he  bite?"  asked  Keith,  going  up  to 
the  huge  bear,  which  had  stretched  itself  out 
comfortably  on  the  floor. 

"  Not  generally.  He's  a  good-tempered  brute, 
most  times  like  a  lamb.  But  he  ain't  had  noth- 
ing to  eat  all  day,  so  it  wouldn't  be  surprising 
if  he  was  a  bit  snappish." 

"  Nothing  to  eat !  "  echoed  Keith.  "  You 
poor  old  thing !  "  Going  a  step  closer,  he  put 
out  his  hand  and  stroked  the  bear,  as  if  it  had 
been  a  great  dog. 

"Oh,  Malcolm,  just  feel  how  soft  his  fur  is, 
like  mamma's  beaver  jacket.  And  he  has  the 
kindest  old  face.  Poor  old  fellow,  is  you 
hungry?  Never  mind,  Keith'll  get  you  some- 
thing to  eat  pretty  soon." 

Putting  his  short,  plump  arms  around  the 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  21 

animal's  neck,  he  hugged  it  lovingly  up  to  him. 
A  cunning  gleam  came  into  the  man's  eyes. 
He  saw  that  he  had  gained  the  younger  boy's 
sympathy,  and  he  wanted  Malcolm's  also. 

"  Is  your  home  near  here,  my  little  gen'le- 
man  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  friendly  tone. 

"  No,  we  live  in  the  city,"  answered  Mal- 
colm, "but  my  grandmother's  place,  where  we 
are  staying,  is  not  far  from  here."  He  was 
stroking  the  bear  with  one  hand  as  he  spoke, 
and  hunting  in  his  pocket  with  the  other,  hop- 
ing to  find  some  stray  peanuts  to  give  it. 

"Then  maybe  you  know  of  some  place  where 
we  could  stay  to-night.  Even  a  shed  to  crawl 
into  would  keep  us  from  freezing.  It's  an 
awful  cold  night  not  to  have  a  roof  over  your 
head,  or  a  crust  to  gnaw  on,  or  a  spark  of  fire 
to  keep  life  in  your  body." 

"  Maybe  they'd  let  you  stay  in  the  waiting- 
room,"  suggested  Malcolm.  "  It  is  always  good 
and  warm  in  here.  I'll  ask  the  station-master. 
He's  a  friend  of  mine." 

"  Oh,  no  !  No,  don't !  "  exclaimed  the  tramp, 
hastily,  pulling  his  old  hat  farther  over  his  fore- 
head, as  if  to  hide  the  scar,  and  looking  uneasily 
around.  "  I  wouldn't  have  you  do  that  for  any- 


22        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

thing.  I've  had  dealings  with  such  folks  before, 
and  I  know  how  they'd  treat  me,  I  thought 
maybe  there  was  a  barn  or  a  hay-shed  or  some- 
thing on  your  grandmother's  place,  where  we 
could  lay  up  for  repairs  a  couple  of  days.  The 
beast  needs  a  rest.  Its  foot's  sore ;  and  Jonesy 
there  is  pretty  near  to  lung  fever,  judging  from 
the  way  he  coughs."  He  nodded  toward  the 
boy,  who  had  placed  his  chair  as  close  to 
the  stove  as  possible.  The  child's  face  was 
drawn  into  a  pucker  by  the  tingling  pains  in 
his  half-frozen  feet,  and  his  efforts  to  keep 
from  coughing. 

Malcolm  looked  at  him  steadily.  He  had 
read  about  boys  who  were  homeless  and  hungry 
and  cold,  but  he  had  never  really  understood 
how  much  it  meant  to  be  all  that.  This  was 
the  first  time  in  his  ten  short  years  that  he  had 
ever  come  close  to  real  poverty.  He  had  seen 
the  swarms  of  beggars  that  infest  such  cities  as 
Naples  and  Rome,  and  had  tossed  them  coppers 
because  that  seemed  a  part  of  the  programme 
in  travelling.  He  had  not  really  felt  sorry  for 
them,  for  they  did  not  seem  to  mind  it.  They 
sat  on  the  steps  in  the  warm  Italian  sunshine, 
and  waited  for  tourists  to  throw  them  money, 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  23 

as  comfortably  as  toads  sit  blinking  at  flies. 
But  this  was  different.  A  wave  of  pity  swept 
through  Malcolm's  generous  little  heart  as  he 
looked  at  Jonesy,  and  the  man  watching  him 
shrewdly  saw  it. 

"Of  course,"  he  whined,  "a  little  gen'leman 
like  you  don't  know  what  it  is  to  go  from  town 
to  town  and  have  every  door  shut  in  your  face. 
You  don't  think  that  this  is  a  hard-hearted, 
stingy  old  world,  because  it  has  given  you  the 
cream  of  everything.  But  if  you'd  never  had 
anything  all  your  life  but  other  people's  scraps 
and  leavings,  and  you  hadn't  any  home  or 
friends  or  money,  and  was  sick  besides,  you'd 
think  things  wasn't  very  evenly  divided.  Wouldn't 
you  now  ?  You'd  think  it  wasn't  right  that 
some  should  have  all  that  heart  can  wish, 
and  others  not  enough  to  keep  soul  and  body 
together.  If  you'd  a-happened  to  be  Jonesy, 
and  Jonesy  had  a-happened  to  'a'  been  you,  I 
reckon  you'd  feel  it  was  pretty  tough  to  see 
such  a  big  difference  between  you.  It  doesn't 
seem  fair  now,  does  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  admitted  Malcolm,  faintly.  He  had 
taken  a  dislike  to  the  man.  He  could  not  have 
told  why,  but  his  child  instinct  armed  him  with 


24        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

a  sudden  distrust.  Still,  he  felt  the  force  of 
the  whining  appeal,  and  the  burden  of  an  obliga- 
tion to  help  them  seemed  laid  upon  his  shoulders. 

"  Grandmother  is  afraid  for  anybody  to  sleep 
in  the  barn,  on  account  of  fire,"  he  said,  after 
a  moment's  thought,  "  and  I'm  sure  she  wouldn't 
let  you  come  into  the  house  without  you'd  had 
a  bath  and  some  clean  clothes.  Grandmother  is 
dreadfully  particular,"  he  added,  hastily,  not 
wanting  to  be  impolite  even  to  a  tramp.  "  Seems 
to  me  Keith  and  I  have  to  spend  half  our- time 
washing  our  hands  and  putting  on  clean  collars." 

"  Oh,  I  know  a  place,"  cried  Keith.  "There's 
that  empty  cabin  down  by  the  spring-house. 
Nobody  has  lived  in  it  since  the  new  servants' 
cottage  was  built.  There  isn't  any  furniture  in 
it,  but  there's  a  fireplace  in  one  room,  and  it 
would  be  warmer  than  the  barn." 

"  That's  just  the  trick  !  "  exclaimed  Malcolm. 
"  We  can  carry  a  pile  of  hay  over  from  the 
barn  for  you  to  sleep  on.  Aunt  Allison  will  be 
out  on  this  next  train  and  I'll  ask  her.  I  am 
sure  she  will  let  you,  because  last  night,  when  it 
was  so  cold,  she  said  she  felt  sorry  for  any- 
thing that  had  to  be  out  in  it,  even  the  poor  old 
cedar-trees,  with  the  sleet  on  their  branches. 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  25 

She  said  that  it  was  King  Lear's  own  weather, 
and  she  could  understand  how  Cordelia  felt  when 
she  said,  '  Mine  enemy's  dog,  though  he  had  bit 
me,  should  have  stood  that  night  against  my 
fire!'  It  is  just  like  auntie  to  feel  that  way 
about  it,  only  she's  so  good  to  everybody  she 
couldn't  have  any  enemies." 

Something  like  a  smile  moved  the  tramp's 
stubby  beard.  "  So  she's  that  kind,  is  she  ? 
Well,  if  she  could  have  a  soft  spot  for  a  dog 
that  had  bit  her,  and  an  enemy's  dog  at  that,  it 
stands  to  reason  that  she  wouldn't  object  to 
some  harmless  travellers  a-sleeping  in  an  empty 
cabin  a  couple  of  nights.  S'pose'n  you  show 
us  the  place,  sonny,  and  we'll  be  moving  on." 

"  Oh,  it  wouldn't  be  right  not  to  ask  her 
first,"  exclaimed  Malcolm.  "  She'll  be  here  in 
such  a  little  while." 

The  man  looked  uneasy.  Presently  he  walked 
over  to  the  window  and  scraped  a  peep-hole 
on  the  frosted  pane  with  his  dirty  thumb- 
nail. "  Sun's  down,"  he  said.  "  I'd  like  to  get 
that  bear's  foot  fixed  comfortable  before  it 
grows  any  darker.  I'd  like  to  mighty  well. 
It'll  take  some  time  to  heat  water  to  dress  it. 
Is  that  cabin  far  from  here  ?" 


26        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS*  OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Not  if  we  go  in  at  the  back  of  the  place," 
said  Malcolm.  "  It's  just  across  the  meadow, 
and  over  a  little  hill.  If  we  went  around  by 
the  big  front  gate  it  would  be  a  good  deal 
longer." 

The  man  shifted  uneasily  from  one  foot 
to  another,  and  complained  of  being  hungry. 
He  was  growing  desperate.  For  more  reasons 
than  one  he  did  not  want  to  be  at  the  station 
when  the  train  came  in.  That  long  red  scar 
across  his  face  had  been  described  a  number  of 
times  in  the  newspapers,  and  he  did  not  care 
to  be  recognised  just  then. 

The  boys  could  not  have  told  how  it  came 
about,  but  in  a  few  minutes  they  were  leading 
the  way  toward  the  cabin.  The  man  had  per- 
suaded them  that  it  was  not  at  all  necessary  to 
wait  for  their  Aunt  Allison's  permission,  and 
that  it  was  needless  to  trouble  their  grand- 
mother. Why  should  the  ladies  be  bothered 
about  a  matter  that  the  boys  were  old  enough 
to  decide  ?  So  well  had  he  argued,  and  so  tact- 
fully had  he  flattered  them,  that  when  they  took 
their  way  across  the  field,  it  was  with  the  feel- 
ing that  they  were  doing  their  highest  duty 
in  getting  these  homeless  wayfarers  to  the 


TWO    TRAMPS    AND    A    BEAR.  2Q 

cabin  as  quickly  as  possible,  on  their  own 
responsibility. 

"  We  can  get  back  in  time  to  meet  the  train,  if 
we  hurry,"  said  Malcolm,  looking  at  his  watch 
again.  "  There's  still  fifteen  minutes." 

No  one  saw  the  little  procession  file  out  of 
the  waiting-room  and  across  the  snowy  field,  for 
it  was  growing  dark,  and  the  lamps  were 
lighted  and  the  curtains  drawn  in  the  few 
houses  they  passed.  Malcolm  went  first, 
proudly  leading  the  friendly  old  bear.  Jonesy 
came  next  beside  Keith,  and  the  man  shuffled 
along  in  the  rear,  looking  around  with  sus- 
picious glances  whenever  a  twig  snapped,  or 
a  distant  dog  barked. 

As  the  wind  struck  against  Jonesy's  body,  he 
drew  the  bit  of  blanket  more  closely  around 
him,  and  coughed  hoarsely.  His  teeth  were 
chattering  and  his  lips  blue.  "  You  look 
nearly  frozen,"  said  Keith,  who,  well-clad  and 
well-fed,  scarcely  felt  the  cold.  "  Here !  put 
this  on,  or  you'll  be  sick."  Unbuttoning  his 
thick  little  reefer,  he  pulled  it  off  and  tied 
its  sleeves  around  Jonesy's  neck. 

A  strange  look  passed  over  the  face  of  the 
man  behind  them.  "  Blessed  if  the  little  kid 


3O      TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

didn't  take  it  off  his  own  back,"  he  muttered. 
"  If  any  man  had  ever  done  that  for  me  —  just 
once  —  well,  maybe,  I  wouldn't  ha'  been  what 
I  am  now  !  " 

For  a  moment,  as  they  reached  the  top  of 
the  hill,  bear,  boys,  and  man  were  outlined 
blackly  against  the  sky  like  strange  silhouettes. 
Then  they  passed  over  and  disappeared  in  the 
thick  clump  of  pine-trees,  which  hid  the  little 
cabin  from  the  eyes  of  the  surrounding  world. 


CHAPTER   II. 

GINGER    AND   THE   BOYS. 

IN  less  time  than  one  would  think  possible, 
a  big  fire  was  roaring  in  the  cabin  fireplace, 
water  was  steaming  in  the  rusty  kettle  on  the 
crane,  and  a  pile  of  hay  and  old  carpet  lay  in 
one  corner,  ready  to  be  made  into  a  bed.  Keith 
had  made  several  trips  to  the  kitchen,  and  came 
back  each  time  with  his  hands  full. 

Old  Daphne,  the  cook,  never  could  find  it  in 
her  heart  to  refuse  "  Marse  Sydney's "  boys 
anything.  They  were  too  much  like  what  their 
father  had  been  at  their  age  to  resist  their 
playful  coaxing.  She  had  nursed  him  when  he 
was  a  baby,  and  had  been  his  loyal  champion 
all  through  his  boyhood.  Now  her  black  face 
wrinkled  into  smiles  whenever  she  heard  his 
name  spoken.  In  her  eyes,  nobody  was  quite 
so  near  perfection  as  he,  except,  perhaps,  the 
fair  woman  whom  he  had  married. 
31 


32        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Kain't  nobody  in  ten  States  hole  a  can'le  to 
my  Marse  Sidney  an'  his  Miss  Elise,"  old 
Daphne  used  to  say,  proudly.  "  They  sut'n'ly 
is  the  handsomest  couple  evah  jined  togethah, 
an'  the  free-handedest.  In  all  they  travels 
by  sea  or  by  land  they  nevah  fo'gits  ole 
Daphne.  I've  got  things  from  every  country 
undah  the  shinin'  sun  what  they  done  brung 
me." 

Now,  all  the  services  she  had  once  been 
proud  to  render  them  were  willingly  given  to 
their  little  sons.  When  Keith  came  in  with 
a  pitiful  tale  of  a  tramp  who  was  starving  at 
their  very  gates,  she  gave  him  even  more  than 
he  asked  for,  and  almost  more  than  he  could 
carry. 

The  bear  and  its  masters  were  so  hungry, 
and  their  two  little  hosts  so  interested  in  v/atch- 
ing  them  eat,  that  they  forgot  all  about  going 
back  to  meet  the  train.  They  did  not  even 
hear  it  whistle  when  it  came  puffing  into  the 
Valley. 

As  Miss  Allison  stepped  from  the  car  to  the 
station  platform,  she  looked  around  in  vain  for 
the  boys  who  had  promised  to  meet  her.  Her 
arms  were  so  full  of  bundles,  as  suburban  pas- 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  33 

sengers'  usually  are,  that  she  could  not  hold  up 
her  long  broadcloth  skirt,  or  even  turn  her 
handsome  fur  collar  higher  over  her  ears.  With 
a  shade  of  annoyance  on  her  pretty  face,  she 
swept  across  the  platform  and  into  the  waiting- 
room,  out  of  the  cold. 

Behind  her  came  a  little  girl  about  ten  years 
old,  as  unlike  her  as  possible,  although  it  was 
Virginia  Dudley's  ambition  to  be  exactly  like  her 
Aunt  Allison.  She  wanted  to  be  tall,  and  slen- 
der, and  grown  up  ;  Miss  Allison  was  that,  and 
yet  she  had  kept  all  her  lively  girlish  ways,  and 
a  love  of  fun  that  made  her  charming  to 
everybody,  young  and  old.  Virginia  longed 
for  wavy  brown  hair  and  white  hands,  and 
especially  for  a  graceful,  easy  manner.  Her 
hair  was  short  and  black,  and  her  complexion 
like  a  gypsy's.  She  had  hard,  brown  little 
fists,  sharp  gray  eyes  that  seemed  to  see 
everything  at  once,  and  a  tongue  that  was 
always  getting  her  into  trouble.  As  for 
the  ease  of  manner,  that  might  come  in  time, 
but  her  stately  old  grandmother  often  sighed  in 
secret  over  Virginia's  awkwardness. 

She  stumbled  now  as  she  followed  the  young 
lady  into  the  waiting-room.  Her  big,  plume- 


34       TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 


covered  hat  tipped  over  one  ear,  but  she,  too, 
had  so  many  bundles,  that  she  could  not  spare  a 
hand  to  straighten 
it. 

"  Well,  Virginia, 
what  do  you  sup- 
pose has  become 
of  the  boys  ? " 
asked  her  aunt. 
"They  promised 
to  meet  us  and 
carry  our  pack- 
ages." 

"  I  heard  them 
in  here  about  half 
an  hour  ago,  Miss 
Allison,"  said  the 
station-master,  who 
had  come  in  with  a 
lantern.  "  I  s'pose 
they  got  tired  of 
waiting.  Better 
leave  your  things 
here,  hadn't  you  ? 
I'll  watch  them. 
It  is  mighty  slippery  walking  this  evening." 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  35 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Mr.  Mason,"  she  answered, 
beginning  to  pile  boxes  and  packages  upon  a 
bench,  I'll  send  Pete  down  for  them  immedi- 
ately. Now,  Virginia,  turn  up  your  coat  collar 
and  hold  your  muff  over  your  nose,  or  Jack 
Frost  will  make  an  icicle  out  of  you  before 
you  are  half-way  home. 

They  had  been  in  the  house  some  time 
before  the  boys  remembered  their  promise  to 
meet  them  at  the  station.  When  they  saw 
how  late  it  was,  they  started  home  on  the  run. 

"  I  am  fairly  aching  to  tell  Ginger  about  that 
bear,"  panted  Keith,  as  they  reached  the  side 
door.  "  I  am  so  sorry  that  we  promised  the  man 
not  to  say  anything  about  them  being  on  the 
place,  before  he  sees  us  again  to-morrow.  I 
wonder  why  he  asked  us  that." 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Malcolm.  "  He 
seemed  to  have  some  very  good  reason,  and  he 
talked  about  it  so  that  it  didn't  seem  right  not 
to  promise  a  little  thing  like  that." 

"  I  wish  we  hadn't,  though,"  said  Keith, 
again. 

"  But  it's  done  now,"  persisted  Malcolm. 
"We're  bound  not  to  tell,  and  you  can't  get 
out  of  it,  for  he  made  us  give  him  our  word  '  on 


36        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

the  honour  of  a  gentleman ; '  and  that  settles  it, 
you  know." 

They  were  two  very  dirty  boys  who  clattered 
up  the  back  stairs,  and  raced  to  their  room  to 
dress  for  dinner.  Their  clothes  were  covered 
with  hayseed  and  straw,  and  their  hands  and 
faces  were  black  with  soot  from  the  old  cabin 
chimney.  They  had  both  helped  to  build  the  fire. 

The  lamps  had  just  been  lighted  in  the  upper 
hall,  and  Virginia  came  running  out  from  her 
room  when  she  heard  the  boys'  voices. 

"Why  didn't  you  meet  us  at  the  train  ? "  she 
began,  but  stopped  as  she  saw  their  dirty  faces. 
"Where  on  earth  have  you  chimney-sweeps 
been  ? "  she  cried. 

"  Oh,  about  and  about,"  answered  Malcolm, 
teasingly.  "  Don't  you  wish  you  knew  ?  " 

Virginia  shrugged  her  shoulders,  as  if  she 
had  not  the  slightest  interest  in  the  matter, 
and  held  out  two  packages. 

"  Here  are  the  valentines  you  sent  for.  You 
just  ought  to  see  the  pile  that  Aunt  Allison 
bought.  We've  the  best  secret  about  to-mor- 
row that  ever  was." 

"  So  have  we,"  began  Keith,  but  Malcolm 
clapped  a  sooty  hand  over  his  mouth  and  pulled 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  37 

him  toward  the  door  of  their  room.  "  Come 
on,"  he  said.  "  We've  barely  time  to  dress  for 
dinner.  Don't  you  know  enough  to  keep  still, 
you  little  magpie?"  he  exclaimed,  as  the  door 
banged  behind  them.  "The  only  way  to  keep 
a  secret  is  not  to  act  like  you  have  one !  " 

Virginia  walked  slowly  back  to  her  room  and 
paused  in  the  doorway,  wondering  what  she 
could  do  to  amuse  herself  until  dinner-time. 
It  was  a  queer  room  for  a  girl,  decorated 
with  flags  and  Indian  trophies  and  every- 
thing that  could  remind  her  of  the  military  life 
she  loved,  at  the  far-away  army  post.  There 
were  photographs  framed  in  brass  buttons  on 
her  dressing-table,  and  pictures  of  uniformed 
officers  all  over  the  walls.  A  canteen  and  an 
army  cap  with  a  bullet -hole  through  the  crown, 
hung  over  her  desk,  and  a  battered  bugle,  that 
had  sounded  many  a  triumphant  charge,  swung 
from  the  corner  of  her  mirror. 

Each  souvenir  had  a  history,  and  had  been 
given  her  at  parting  by  some  special  friend. 
Every  one  at  the  fort  had  made  a  pet  of  Cap- 
tain Dudley's  daughter,  —  the  harum-scarum 
little  Ginger, — who  would  rather  dash  across 
the  prairies  on  her  pony,  like  a  wild  Comanche 


38        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

Indian,  than  play  with  the  finest  doll  ever 
imported  from  Paris. 

There  was  a  suit  in  her  wardrobe,  short  skirt, 
jacket,  leggins,  and  moccasins,  all  made  and 
beaded  by  the  squaws.  It  was  the  gift  of  the 
colonel's  wife.  Mrs.  Dudley  had  hesitated 
some  time  before  putting  it  in  one  of  the 
trunks  that  was  to  go  back  to  Kentucky. 

"  You  look  so  much  like  an  Indian  now,"  she 
said  to  Virginia.  "  Your  face  is  so  sunburned 
that  I  am  afraid  your  grandmother  will  be  scan- 
dalised. I  don't  know  what  she  would  say  if 
she  knew  that  I  ever  allowed  you  to  run  so 
wild.  If  I  had  known  that  you  were  going 
back  to  civilisation  I  certainly  should  not  have 
kept  your  hair  cut  short,  and  you  should  have 
worn  sunbonnets  all  summer." 

To  Mrs.  Dudley's  great  surprise,  her  little 
daughter  threw  herself  into  her  arms,  sobbing, 
"  Oh,  mamma !  I  don't  want  to  go  back  to 
Kentucky  !  Take  me  to  Cuba  with  you  !  Please 
do,  or  else  let  me  stay  here  at  the  post.  Every- 
body will  take  care  of  me  here!  I'll  just  die  if 
you  leave  me  in  Kentucky  !  " 

"Why,  darling,"  she  said,  soothingly,  as  she 
wiped  her  tears  away  and  rocked  her  back  and 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  39 

forth  in  her  arms,  "  I  thought  you  have  always 
wanted  to  see  mamma's  old  home,  and  the 
places  you  have  heard  so  much  about.  There 
are  all  the  old  toys  in  the  nursery  that  we  had 
when  we  were  children,  and  the  grape-vine  swing 
in  the  orchard,  and  the  mill-stream  where  we 
fished,  and  the  beech- woods  where  we  had  such 
delightful  picnics.  I  thought  it  would  be  so 
nice  for  you  to  do  all  the  same  things  that 
made  me  so  happy  when  I  was  a  child,  and 
go  to  school  in  the  same  old  Girls'  College 
and  know  all  the  dear  old  neighbours  that  I 
knew.  Wouldn't  my  little  girl  like  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  some,  I  s'pose,"  sobbed  Virginia, 
"but  I  didn't  know  I'd  have  to  be  so  —  so  — 
everlastingly  —  civilised  !  "  she  wailed.  "  I  don't 
want  to  always  have  to  dress  just  so,  and  have  to 
walk  in  a  path  and  be  called  Virginia  all  the  time. 
That  sounds  so  stiff  and  proper.  I'd  rather 
stay  where  people  don't  mind  if  I  am  sun- 
burned and  tanned,  and  won't  be  scandalised 
at  everything  I  do.  It's  so  much  nicer  to  be 
just  plain  Ginger  !  " 

It  had  been  five  months,  now,  since  Virginia 
left  Fort  Dennis.  At  first  she  had  locked  her- 
self in  her  room  nearly  every  day,  and,  with  her 


4O        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

face  buried  in  her  Indian  suit,  cried  to  go  back. 
She  missed  the  gay  military  life  of  the  army 
post,  as  a  sailor  would  miss  the  sea,  or  an 
Alpine  shepherd  the  free  air  of  his  snow-capped 
mountain  heights. 

It  was  not  that  she  did  not  enjoy  being  at 
her  grandmother's.  She  liked  the  great  gray 
house  whose  square  corner  tower  and  over- 
hanging vines  made  it  look  like  an  old  castle. 
She  liked  the  comfort  and  elegance  of  the  big, 
stately  rooms,  and  she  had  her  grandmother's 
own  pride  in  the  old  family  portraits  and  the 
beautiful  carved  furniture.  The  negro  ser- 
vants seemed  so  queer  and  funny  to  her  that 
she  found  them  a  great  source  of  amusement, 
and  her  Aunt  Allison  planned  so  many  pleasant 
occupations  outside  of  school-hours  that  she 
scarcely  had  time  to  get  lonesome.  But  she 
had  a  shut-in  feeling,  like  a  wild  bird  in  a  cage, 
and  sometimes  the  longing  for  liberty  which 
her  mother  had  allowed  her  made  her  fret 
against  the  thousand  little  proprieties  she  had  to 
observe.  Sometimes  when  she  went  tipping 
over  the  polished  floors  of  the  long  drawing 
room,  and  caught  sight  of  herself  in  one  of  the 
big  mirrors,  she  felt  that  she  was  not  herself  at 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  4! 

all,  but  somebody  in  a  story.  The  Virginia  in 
the  looking-glass  seemed  so  very,  very  civilised. 
More  than  once,  after  one  of  these  meetings  with 
herself  in  the  mirror,  she  dashed  up-stairs,  locked 
her  door,  and  dressed  herself  in  her  Indian  suit. 
Then  in  her  noiseless  moccasins  she  danced 
the  wildest  of  war-dances,  whispering  shrilly 
between  her  teeth,  "  Now  I'm  Ginger !  Now 
I'm  Ginger !  And  I  wont  be  dressed  up,  and  I 
wont  learn  my  lessons,  and  I  wont  be  a  little 
lady,  and  I'll  run  away  and  go  back  to  Fort 
Dennis  the  very  first  chance  I  get !  " 

Usually  she  was  ashamed  of  these  outbursts 
afterwards,  for  it  always  happened  that  after 
each  one  she  found  her  Aunt  Allison  had 
planned  something  especially  pleasant  for  her 
entertainment.  Miss  Allison  felt  sorry  for  the 
lonely  child,  who  had  never  been  separated 
from  her  father  and  mother  before,  so  she 
devoted  her  time  to  her  as  much  as  possible, 
telling  her  stories  and  entering  into  her  plays 
and  pleasures  as  if  they  had  both  been  the  same 
age. 

Since  the  boys  had  come,  Virginia  had  not 
had  a  single  homesick  moment.  While  she 
was  at  school  in  the  primary  department  of 


42        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

the  Girls'  College,  Malcolm  and  Keith  were 
reciting  their  lessons  to  the  old  minister  who 
lived  across  the  road  from  Mrs.  Maclntyre's. 
They  were  all  free  about  the  same  hour,  and 
even  on  the  coldest  days  played  out-of-doors 
from  lunch-time  until  dark. 

To-night  Virginia  had  so  many  experiences 
to  tell  them  of  her  day  in  town  that  the  boys 
seemed  unusually  long  in  dressing.  She  was 
so  impatient  for  them  to  hear  her  news  that 
she  could  not  settle  down  to  anything,  but 
walked  restlessly  around  the  room,  wishing  they 
would  hurry. 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  sorted  my  valentines  !  "  she 
exclaimed,  presently,  picking  up  a  fancy  box 
which  she  had  tossed  on  the  bed  when  she  first 
came  in.  "  I'll  take  them  down  to  the  library." 

There  was  no  one  in  the  room  when  she 
peeped  in.  It  looked  so  bright  and  cosy  with 
the  great  wood  fire  blazing  on  the  hearth  and 
the  rose-coloured  light  falling  from  its  softly 
shaded  lamps,  that  she  forgot  the  coldness  of 
the  night  outside.  Sitting  down  on  a  pile  of 
cushions  at  one  end  of  the  hearth-rug,  she 
began  sorting  her  purchases,  trying  to  decide 
to  whom  each  one  should  be  sent. 


GINGER   AND    THE    BOYS.  43 

"  The  prettiest  valentine  of  all  must  go  to 
poor  papa,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  'cause  he's 
been  so  sick  away  down  there  in  Cuba ;  and 
this  one  that's  got  the  little  girl  on  it  in  a 


blue  dress  shall  be  for  my  dear,  sweet  mamma, 
'cause  it  will  make  her  think  of  me." 

For  a  moment,  a  mist  seemed  to  blur  the 
gay  blue  dress  of  the  little  valentine  girl  as 
Virginia  looked  at  her,  thinking  of  her  far-away 
mother.  She  drew  her  hand  hastily  across  her 
eyes  and  went  on  : 


44       TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"This  one  is  for  Sergeant  Jackson  out  at 
Fort  Dennis,  and  the  biggest  one,  with  the 
doves,  for  Colonel  Philips  and  his  wife.  Dear 
me !  I  wish  I  could  send  one  to  every  officer 
and  soldier  out  there.  They  were  all  so  good 
to  me!" 

The  pile  of  lace-paper  cupids  and  hearts  and 
arrows  and  roses  slipped  from  her  lap,  down  to 
the  rug,  as  she  clasped  her  hands  around  her 
knees  and  looked  into  the  fire.  She  wished 
that  she  could  be  back  again  at  the  fort,  long 
enough  to  live  one  of  those  beautiful  old  days 
from  reveille  to  taps.  How  she  loved  the  bugle- 
calls  and  the  wild  thrill  the  band  gave  her,  when 
it  struck  up  a  burst  of  martial  music,  and  the 
troops  went  dashing  by  !  How  she  missed  the 
drills  and  the  dress  parades ;  her  rides  across 
the  open  prairie  on  her  pony,  beside  her  father ; 
how  she  missed  the  games  she  used  to  play 
with  the  other  children  at  the  fort  on  the  long 
summer  evenings  ! 

Something  more  than  a  mist  was  gathering  in 
her  eyes  now.  Two  big  tears  were  almost  ready 
to  fall  when  the  door  opened  and  Mrs.  Maclntyre 
came  in.  In  Virginia's  eyes  she  was  the  most 
beautiful  grandmother  any  one  ever  had.  She 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  45 

was  not  so  tall  as  her  daughter  Allison,  and  in 
that  respect  fell  short  of  the  little  girl's  ideal, 
but  her  hair,  white  as  snow,  curled  around  her 
face  in  the  same  soft,  pretty  fashion,  and  by 
every  refined  feature  she  showed  her  kinship 
to  the  aristocratic  old  faces  which  looked  down 
from  the  family  portraits  in  the  hall. 

"  I  couldn't  be  as  stately  and  dignified  as  she 
is  if  I  practised  a  thousand  years,"  thought  Vir- 
ginia, scrambling  up  from  the  pile  of  cushions 
to  roll  a  chair  nearer  the  fire.  As  she  did  so, 
her  heel  caught  in  the  rug,  and  she  fell  back  in 
an  awkward  little  heap. 

"The  more  haste,  the  less  grace,  my  dear," 
said  her  grandmother,  kindly,  thanking  her  for 
the  proffered  chair.  Virginia  blushed,  wonder- 
ing why  she  always  appeared  so  awkward  in  her 
grandmother's  presence.  She  envied  the  boys 
because  they  never  seemed  embarrassed  or  ill 
at  ease  before  ?ier. 

While  she  was  picking  up  her  valentines  the 
boys  came  in.  If  two  of  the  cavalier  ancestors 
had  stepped  down  from  their  portrait  frames 
just  then,  they  could  not  have  come  into  the 
room  in  a  more  charming  manner  than  Malcolm 
and  Keith.  Their  faces  were  shining,  their 


46    TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

linen  spotless,  and  they  came  up  to  kiss  their 
grandmother's  cheek  with  an  old-time  courtli- 
ness that  delighted  her. 

"  I  am  sure  that  there  are  no  more  perfect 
gentlemen  in  all  Kentucky  than  my  two  little 
lads,"  she  said,  fondly,  with  an  approving  pat 
of  Keith's  hand  as  she  held  him  a  moment. 

Virginia,  who  had  seen  them  half  an  hour 
before,  tousled  and  dirty,  and  had  been  arrayed 
against  them  in  more  than  one  hot  quarrel 
where  they  had  been  anything  but  chivalrous, 
let  slip  a  faintly  whistled  "  cuckoo  !  " 

The  boys  darted  a  quick  glance  in  her  direc- 
tion, but  she  was  bending  over  the  valentines 
with  a  very  serious  face,  which  never  changed 
its  expression  till  her  Aunt  Allison  came  in 
and  the  boys  began  their  apologies  for  not 
meeting  her  at  the  train.  Their  only  excuse 
was  that  they  had  forgotten  all  about  it. 

Virginia  spelled  on  her  fingers :  "  I  dare  you 
to  tell  what  made  your  faces  so  black  !  "  Keith's 
only  answer  was  to  thrust  his  tongue  out  at  her 
behind  his  grandmother's  back.  Then  he  ran 
to  hold  the  door  open  for  the  ladies  to  pass 
out  to  dinner,  with  all  the  grace  of  a  young 
Chesterfield. 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  47 

When  dinner  was  over  and  they  were  back 
in  the  library,  Miss  Allison  opened  a  box  of 
tiny  heart-shaped  envelopes,  and  began  ad- 
dressing them.  As  she  took  up  her  pen  she 
said,  merrily  :  "  Now  you  may  tell  our  secret, 
Virginia." 

"  I  was  going  to  make  you  guess  for  about 
an  hour,"  said  Virginia,  "but  it  is  so  nice  I 
can't  wait  that  long  to  tell  you.  We  are  going 
to  have  a  valentine  party  to-morrow  night. 
Aunt  Allison  planned  it  all  a  week  ago,  and 
bought  the  things  for  it  while  we  were  in  town 
to-day.  Everything  on  the  table  is  to  be  cut 
in  heart  shape,  —  the  bread  and  butter  and 
sandwiches  and  cheese ;  and  the  ice-cream  will 
be  moulded  in  hearts,  and  the  two  big  frosted 
cakes  are  hearts,  one  pink  and  one  white,  with 
candy  arrows  sticking  in  them.  Then  there 
will  be  peppermint  candy  hearts  with  mottoes 
printed  on  them,  and  lace-paper  napkins  with 
verses  on  them,  so  that  the  table  itself  will  look 
like  a  lovely  big  valentine.  The  games  are 
lovely,  too.  One  is  parlour  archery,  with  a  red 
heart  in  the  middle  of  the  target,  and  two 
prizes,  one  for  the  boys  and  one  for  the 
girls." 


48    TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

"Who  are  invited?"  asked  Malcolm,  as 
Virginia  stopped  for  breath. 

"Oh,  the  Carrington  boys,  and  the  Edmunds, 
and  Sally  Fairfax,  and  Julia  Ferris,  —  I  can't 
remember  them  all.  There  will  be  twenty-four, 
counting  us.  There  is  the  list  on  the  table." 

Keith  reached  for  it,  and  began  slowly  spell- 
ing out  the  names.  "  Who  is  this  ? "  he  asked, 
reading  the  name  that  headed  the  list.  "  '  The 
Little  Colonel ! '  '  I  never  heard  of  him." 

"  Oh,  he's  a  girl !  "  laughed  Virginia.  "  Little 
Lloyd  Sherman,  —  don't  you  know  ?  She  lives 
up  at  '  The  Locusts,'  that  lovely  place  with  the 
long  avenue  of  trees  leading  up  to  the  house. 
You've  surely  seen  her  with  her  grandfather, 
old  Colonel  Lloyd,  riding  by  on  the  horse  that 
he  calls  Maggie  Boy." 

"Has  he  only  one  arm?"  asked  Malcolm. 

"  Yes,  the  other  was  shot  off  in  the  war  years 
ago.  Well,  when  Lloyd  was  younger,  she  had 
a  temper  so  much  like  his,  and  wore  such  a  dear 
little  Napoleon  hat,  that  everybody  took  to 
calling  her  the  Little  Colonel." 

"  How  old  is  she  now  ? "  asked  Malcolm. 

"  About  Keith's  age,  isn't  she,  Aunt  Allison  ? " 
aski*d  Virginia. 


GINGER    AND    THE    BOYS.  49 

"Yes,"  was  the  answer.  "She  is  nearly 
eight,  I  believe.  She  has  outgrown  most  of 
her  naughtiness  now." 

"  I  love  to  hear  her  talk,"  said  Virginia.  "  She 
leaves  out  all  of  her  r's  in  such  a  soft,  sweet 
way." 

"  All  Southerners  do  that,"  said  Malcolm, 
pompously,  "and  I  think  it  sounds  lots  better 
than  the  way  Yankees  talk." 

"You  boys  don't  talk  like  the  Little  Colonel," 
retorted  Virginia,  who  had  often  been  teased  by 
them  for  not  being  a  Southerner.  "  You're  all 
mixed  up  every  which  way.  Some  things  you 
say  like  darkeys,  and  some  things  like  English 
people,  and  it  doesn't  sound  a  bit  like  the  Little 
Colonel." 

"  Oh,  well,  that's  because  we've  travelled 
abroad  so  much,  don't  you  know,"  drawled 
Malcolm,  "  and  we've  been  in  so  many  different 
countries,  and  had  an  English  tutor,  and  all  that 
sort  of  a  thing.  We  couldn't  help  picking  up 
a  bit  of  an  accent,  don't  you  know."  His  supe- 
rior tone  made  Virginia  long  to  slap  him. 

"Yes,  I  know,  Mr.  Brag,"  she  said,  in  such 
a  low  voice  that  her  grandmother  could  not 
hear.  "  I  know  perfectly  well.  If  I  didn't  it 


5O        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

wouldn't  be  because  you  haven't  told  me  every 
chance  you  got.  Who  did  you  say  is  your 
tailor  in  London,  and  how  many  times  was  it 
the  Queen  invited  you  out  to  Windsor  ?  I  think 
it's  a  ninety-nine  dollar  cravat  you  always  buy, 
isn't  it  ?  And  you  wouldn't  be  so  common 
as  to  wear  a  pair  of  gloves  that  hadn't  been 
made  to  order  specially  for  you.  Yes,  I've 
heard  all  about  it !  " 

Miss  Allison  heard,  but  said  nothing.  She 
knew  the  boys  were  a  little  inclined  to  boast, 
and  she  thought  Virginia's  sharp  tongue  might 
have  a  good  effect.  But  the  retort  had  grown 
somewhat  sharper  than  was  pleasant,  and,  fear- 
ing a  quarrel  might  follow  if  she  did  not  inter- 
rupt the  whispers  beside  her,  she  said  : 

"  Boys,  did  you  ever  hear  about  the  time  that 
the  Little  Colonel  threw  mud  on  her  grand- 
father's coat  ?  There's  no  end  to  her  pranks. 
Get  grandmother  to  tell  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  please,  grandmother,"  begged  Keith, 
with  an  arm  around  her  neck.  "Tell  about 
Fritz  and  the  parrot,  too,"  said  Virginia.  "  Here, 
Malcolm,  there's  room  on  this  side  for  you." 

Aunt  Allison  smiled.  The  storm  had  blown 
over,  and  they  were  all  friends  again. 


"'DAPHNE,  WHAT'S  DEM  CHILLUN  ALLUZ  RACIN'  DOWN 
TO  DE  SPRING-HOUSE  FO'?'" 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    VALENTINE    PARTY. 

"  Now  we  can  tell  Ginger  about  the  bear," 
was  Keith's  first  remark,  when  he  awoke  early 
next  morning. 

"  But  not  until  after  we  have  seen  the  man 
again,"  answered  Malcolm.  "  You  know  we 
promised  him  that." 

"  Then  let's  go  down  before  breakfast," 
exclaimed  Keith,  springing  out  of  bed  and 
beginning  to  dress  himself.  A  little  while 
later,  the  old  coloured  coachman  saw  them 
run  past  the  window,  where  he  was  warming 
himself  by  the  kitchen  stove. 

"Daphne,"  he  called  out  to  the  cook,  who 
was  beating  biscuit  in  the  adjoining  pantry, 
"  Daphne,  what's  dem  chillun  alluz  racin'  down 
to  de  spring-house  fo'  in  de  snow  ?  Peah's  lak 
dee  has  a  heap  o'  business  down  yandah." 

Daphne,  who  had  just  been  coaxed  into  filling 
53 


54   TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

a  basket  with  a  generous  supply  of  cold  victuals, 
pretended  not  to  hear  until  he  repeated  his 
question.  Then  she  stopped  pounding  long 
enough  to  say,  sharply,  "  Whuffo'  you  alluz 
'spicion  dem  boys  so  evahlastin'ly,  Unc'  Henry  ? 
Lak  enough  dee's  settin'  a  rabbit  trap.  Boys 
has  done  such  things  befo'.  You's  done  it 
yo'se'f,  hasn't  you  ? " 

Daphne  had  seen  them  setting  rabbit  traps 
there,  but  she  knew  well  enough  that  was  not 
what  they  had  gone  for  now,  and  that  the  food 
they  carried  was  not  for  the  game  of  Robinson 
Crusoe,  which  they  had  played  in  the  deserted 
cabin  the  summer  before.  Still,  she  did  not  care 
to  take  Unc'  Henry  into  her  confidence. 

The  food,  the  warmth,  and  the  night's  rest 
had  so  restored  the  bear  that  it  was  able  to 
go  through  all  its  performances  for  the  boys' 
entertainment,  although  it  limped  badly. 

"  Isn't  he  a  dandy  ?  "  cried  Keith  ;  "  I  wish 
we  had  one.  It's  nicer  than  any  pets  we  ever 
had,  except  the  ponies.  Something  always 
happened  to  the  dogs,  and  the  monkey  was 
such  a  nuisance,  and  the  white  rabbits  were 
stolen,  and  the  guinea  pigs  died." 

"  Haven't  we  had  a  lot  of  things,  when  you 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  55 

come  to  think  of  it?"  exclaimed  Malcolm. 
"  Squirrels,  and  white  mice,  and  the  coon  that 
Uncle  Harry  brought  us,  and  the  parrot  from 
Mexico." 

"  Yes,  and  the  gold-fish,  and  the  little  baby 
alligator  that  froze  to  death  in  its  tank,"  added 
Keith.  "  But  a  bear  like  this  would  be  nicer 
than  any  of  them.  As  soon  as  papa  comes 
home  I  am  going  to  ask  him  to  buy  us  one." 

"Jonesy's  nearly  done  for,"  said  the  tramp, 
pointing  to  the  boy  who  lay  curled  up  in  the 
hay,  coughing  at  nearly  every  breath.  "We 
ought  to  stay  here  another  day,  if  you  young 
gen'lemen  don't  object." 

"Oh,  goody!"  cried  Keith.  "Then  we  can 
bring  Ginger  down  to  see  the  bear  perform." 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  man,  "  we'll  give  a 
free  show  to  all  your  friends,  if  you  will  only 
kindly  wait  till  to-morrow.  Give  us  one  more 
day  to  rest  up  and  get  in  a  little  better  trim. 
The  poor  beast's  foot  is  still  too  lame  for  him 
to  do  his  best,  and  you're  too  kind-hearted,  I 
am  sure,  to  want  anything  to  suffer  in  order 
to  give  you  pleasure." 

"  Of  course,"  answered  both  the  boys,  agree- 
ing so  quickly  to  all  the  man's  smooth  speeches 


56        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

that,  before  they  left  the  cabin,  they  had  re- 
newed their  promise  to  keep  silent  one  more 
day.  The  man  was  a  shrewd  one,  and  knew 
well  how  to  make  these  unsuspecting  little 
souls  serve  his  purpose,  like  puppets  tied  to  a 
string. 

Miss  Allison  was  so  busy  with  preparations 
for  the  party  that  she  had  no  time  all  that  day 
to  notice  what  the  boys  were  doing.  When 
they  came  back  from  reciting  their  lessons  to 
the  minister,  she  sent  them  on  several  errands, 
but  the  rest  of  the  time  they  divided  between 
the  cabin  and  the  post-office. 

Every  mail  brought  a  few  valentines  to  each 
of  them,  but  it  was  not  until  the  five  o'clock 
train  came  that  they  found  the  long-looked-for 
letters  from  their  father  and  mother. 

"I  knew  they'd  each  send  us  a  valentine," 
cried  Keith,  tearing  both  of  his  open.  "  I'll 
bet  that  papa's  is  a  comic  one.  Yes,  here  it 
is.  Papa  is  such  a  tease.  Isn't  it  a  stunner  ? 
a  base-ball  player.  And,  whoopee  !  Here's  a 
dollar  bill  in  each  of  'em." 

"  So  there  is  in  mine,"  said  Malcolm. 
"  Mamma  says  we  are  to  buy  anything  we 
want,  and  call  it  a  valentine.  They  couldn't 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  $/ 

find  anything  down  on  the  coast  that  they 
thought  we  would  like." 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  get  with  mine,"  said 
Keith,  folding  his  two  bills  together.  "  Seems 
to  me  I  have  everything  I  want  except  a  cam- 
era, and  I  couldn't  buy  the  kind  I  want  for  two 
dollars." 

They  were  half-way  home  when  a  happy 
thought  came  to  Malcolm.  "  Keith,"  he  cried, 
excitedly,  "  if  you  would  put  your  money  with 
mine,  that  would  make  four  dollars,  and  maybe 
it  would  be  enough  to  buy  that  bear  ! " 

"  Let's  do  it !  "  exclaimed  Keith,  turning  a 
handspring  in  the  snow  to  show  his  delight. 
"  Come  on,  we'll  ask  the  man  now." 

But  the  man  shook  his  head,  when  they 
dashed  into  the  cabin  and  told  their  errand. 
"  No,  sonny,  that  ain't  a  tenth  of  what  it's 
worth  to  me,"  he  said.  "  I've  raised  that  bear 
from  the  time  it  was  a  teeny  cub.  I've  taught 
it,  and  fed  it,  and  looked  to  it  for  company 
when  I  hadn't  nobody  in  the  world  to  care  for 
me.  Couldn't  sell  that  bear  for  no  such  sum 
as  that.  Couldn't  you  raise  any  more  money 
than  that  ? " 

It  was   Malcolm's  turn  to    shake   his  head. 


58        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

He  turned  away,  too  disappointed  to  trust 
himself  to  answer  any  other  way.  The  tears 
sprang  to  Keith's  eyes.  He  had  set  his  heart 
on  having  that  bear. 

"  Never  mind,  brother,"  said  Malcolm,  mov- 
ing toward  the  door.  "  Papa  will  get  us  one 
when  he  comes  home  and  finds  how  much  we 
want  one." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  in  such  a  hurry,  young  gen'le- 
men,"  whined  the  man,  when  he  saw  that  they 
were  really  going.  "  I  didn't  say  that  I  wouldn't 
sell  it  to  you  for  that  much.  You've  been  so 
kind  to  me  that  I  ought  to  be  willing  to  make 
any  sacrifice  for  you.  I  happen  to  need  four 
dollars  very  particular  just  now,  and  I've  a 
mind  to  sell  him  to  you  on  your  own  terms." 
He  paused  a  moment,  looking  thoughtfully  at 
a  crack  in  the  floor,  as  he  stood  by  the  fire  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  at 
last,  "you  can  have  him  for  four  dollars,  if 
you'll  keep  mum  about  us  being  here  for  one 
more  day.  You  can  leave  the  bear  here  till  we 

go." 

"  No  !  No  !  "  cried  Keith,  throwing  his  arms 
around  the  animal's  neck.  "  He  is  ours  now, 
and  we  must  take  him  with  us.  We  can  hide 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  59 

him  away  in  the  barn.  It  is  so  dark  out-doors 
now  that  nobody  will  see  us.  It  wouldn't  seem 
like  he  is  really  ours  if  we  couldn't  take  him 
with  us." 

After  some  grumbling  the  man  consented, 
and  pocketed  the  four  dollars,  first  asking  very 
particularly  the  exact  spot  in  the  barn  where 
they  expected  to  hide  their  huge  pet. 

Unc'  Henry,  coming  up  from  the  carriage- 
house  through  the  twilight,  thought  he  saw 
some  one  stealing  along  by  the  clump  of  cedars 
by  the  spring-house.  "Who's  prowlin'  roun' 
dis  yere  premises  ? "  he  called.  There  was  no 
answer,  and,  after  peering  intently  through  the 
dusk  for  a  moment,  the  old  darkey  concluded 
that  he  must  have  been  mistaken,  and  passed 
on.  As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  the  boys  came 
out  from  behind  the  cedars,  and  crept  up  the 
snowy  hillside.  They  were  leading  the  bear 
between  them. 

"  We'll  put  him  away  back  in  the  hay-mow 
where  he'll  be  warm  and  comfortable  to-night," 
whispered  Malcolm.  "Then  in  the  morning 
we  can  tell  everybody." 

While  they  were  busily  scooping  out  a  big 
hollow  in  the  hay,  they  were  startled  by  a 


6O       TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

rustling  behind  them.  They  looked  into  each 
other's  frightened  faces,  and  then  glance'd 
around  the  dark  barn  in  alarm.  An  old  cap 
pushed  up  through  the  hay.  Then  a  weak  little 
cough  betrayed  Jonesy.  He  had  followed  them. 

"  Sh  !  "  he  said,  in  a  warning  whisper.  "I'm 
afraid  the  boss  will  find  out  that  I'm  here.  He 
started  to  the  store  for  some  tobacco  as  soon  as 
you  left.  He's  been  wild  fer  some,  but  didn't 
have  no  money.  Dorit  you  leave  that  bear 
out  here  to-night,  if  you  ever  expect  to  see  it 
again !  That  wasn't  true  what  he  told  you. 
He  never  saw  the  bear  till  two  months  ago, 
and  he  sold  it  to  you  cheap  because  he's  a-goin' 
to  steal  it  back  again  to-night,  and  make  off  up 
the  road  with  it.  He  went  off  a-grinnin'  over 
the  slick  way  he'd  fooled  you,  and  I  jes'  had  to 
come  and  tell,  'cause  you've  been  so  good 
to  me.  I'll  never  forget  the  little  kid's  givin* 
me  the  coat  off  his  own  back,  if  I  live  to  be  a 
hundred.  Now  don't  blab  on  me,  or  the  boss 
would  nearly  kill  me." 

"Is  that  man  your  father  ? "  began  Keith, 
but  Jonesy,  alarmed  by  some  sudden  noise, 
sprang  to  the  door,  and  disappeared  in  the 
twilight. 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  6 1 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  a  moment, 
with  surprise  and  indignation  in  their  faces. 
There  was  a  hurried  consultation  in  the  hay- 
mow. A  few  moments  later  the  boys  were 
smuggling  their  new  pet  into  the  house,  and  up 
the  back  stairs.  They  scarcely  dared  breathe 
until  it  was  safe  in  their  own  room. 

All  the  time  that  they  were  dressing  for  the 
party,  they  were  trying  to  decide  where  to  put 
it  for  the  night,  so  that  neither  the  tramp  nor 
the  family  could  discover  it.  What  Jonesy  had 
told  them  about  the  man's  dishonest  intention 
did  not  relieve  them  from  their  promise.  They 
were  amazed  that  any  one  could  be  so  mean, 
and  longed  to  tell  their  Aunt  Allison  all  about 
it ;  still,  one  of  the  conditions  on  which  they 
had  bought  the  bear  was  that  they  were  to 
"keep  mum,"  and  they  stuck  strictly  to  that 
promise. 

By  the  time  they  were  dressed,  they  had 
decided  to  put  it  in  the  blue  room,  a  guest- 
chamber  in  the  north  wing,  seldom  used  in 
winter,  because  it  was  so  hard  to  heat.  "  No- 
body will  ever  think  of  coming  in  here,"  said 
Malcolm,  "and  it  will  be  plenty  warm  for  a 
bear  if  we  turn  on  the  furnace  a  little."  As  he 


62        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

spoke,  he  was  tying  the  bear's  rope  around  a 
leg  of  the  big,  high-posted  bed. 

"  Won't    Ginger    be    surprised  ?  "    answered 


Keith.  "  We'll  tell  her  that  we  have  a  valen- 
tine six  feet  long,  and  keep  her  guessing." 

There  was  no  time  for  teasing,  however,  as 
the  first  guest  arrived  while  they  were  still 
in  the  blue  room. 

"  I  hate  to  go  off  and  leave  him  in  the  dark," 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  63 

said  Keith,  with  a  final  loving  pat.  "  I  guess 
he'll  not  mind,  though.  Maybe  he'll  think  he 
is  in  the  woods  if  I  put  this  good-smelling  pine 
pillow  on  the  rug  beside  him." 

"  Oh,  boys,"  called  Virginia  from  the  hall 
down-stairs.  "  See  what  an  enormous  valentine 
pie  Aunt  Allison  has  made !  " 

Looking  over  the  banisters,  the  boys  saw 
that  a  table  had  been  <lravvn  into  the  middle  of 
the  wide  reception-hall,  and  on  it  sat  the  largest 
pie  that  they  had  ever  seen.  It  was  in  a  bright 
new  tin  pan,  and  its  daintily  browned  crust 
would  have  made  them  hungry  even  if  their 
appetites  had  not  been  sharpened  by  the  cold 
and  exercise  of  the  afternoon. 

"  What  a  queer  place  to  serve  pie,"  said  Mal- 
colm, in  a  disapproving  undertone  to  his  brother. 
"  Why  don't  theyhave.it  in  the  dining-room? 
It  looks  mighty  good,  but  somehow  it  doesn't 
seem  proper  to  have  it  stuck  out  here  in  the 
hall.  Mamma  would  never  do  such  a  thing." 

"  Aw,  it's  made  of  paper !  She  fooled  us, 
sure,  Malcolm,"  called  back  Keith,  who  had 
run  on  ahead  to  look.  "  It  is  only  painted  to 
look  like  a  pie.  But  isn't  it  a  splendid  imita- 
tion ? " 


64        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

Virginia,  pleased  to  have  caught  them  so 
cleverly,  showed  them  the  ends  of  twenty-four 
pieces  of  narrow  ribbon,  peeping  from  under 
the  delicately  brown  top  crust.  "The  white 
ones  are  for  the  girls,  and  the  red  ones  for  the 
boys,"  she  explained.  "There  is  a  valentine 
on  the  end  of  each  one,  and  those  on  the  red 
ribbons  match  the  ones  on  the  white.  We'll 
all  pull  at  once,  and  the  ones  who  have  valen- 
tines alike  will  go  out  to  dinner  together." 

The  guests  came  promptly.  They  had  been 
invited  for  half-past  six,  and  dinner  was  to  be 
served  soon  after  that  time.  The  last  to  arrive 
was  the  Little  Colonel.  She  came  in  charge  of 
an  old  coloured  woman,  Mom  Beck,  who  had 
been  her  mother's  nurse  as  well  as  her  own. 
The  child  was  so  hidden  in  4ier  wraps  when 
Mom  Beck  led  her  up-stairs,  that  no  one  could 
tell  how  she  looked.  The  boys  had  been  curi- 
ous to  see  her,  ever  since  they  had  heard  so 
many  tales  of  her  mischievous  pranks.  A  few 
minutes  later,  when  she  appeared  in  the  par- 
lours, there  was  a  buzz  of  admiration.  Maybe 
it  was  not  so  much  for  the  soft  light  hair,  the 
star-like  beauty  of  her  big  dark  eyes,  or  the 
delicate  colour  in  her  cheeks  that  made  them  as 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  65 

pink  as  a  wild  rose,  as  it  was  for  the  valentine 
costume  she  wore.  It  was  of  dainty  white 
tulle,  sprinkled  with  hundreds  of  tiny  red  vel- 
vet hearts,  and  there  was  a  coronet  of  glittering 
rhinestones  on  her  long  fair  hair. 

"  The  Queen  of  Hearts,"  announced  Aunt 
Allison,  leading  her  forward.  "  You  know  '  she 
made  some  tarts,  upon  a  summer  day,'  and 
now  she  shall  open  the  valentine  pie  and  see 
if  it  is  as  good  as  her  Majesty's." 

The  big  music-box  in  the  hall  began  playing 
one  of  its  liveliest  waltzes,  the  children  gath- 
ered around  the  great  pie,  and  twenty-four  little 
hands  reached  out  to  grasp  the  floating  ends  of 
ribbon. 

"  Pull !  "  cried  the  little  Queen  of  Hearts. 
The  paper  crust  flew  off,  and  twenty-four  yards 
of  ribbon,  each  with  a  valentine  attached,  flut- 
tered brightly  through  the  air  for  an  instant. 

"  Now  match  your  verses,"  cried  her  Majesty 
again,  opening  her  own  to  read  what  was  in  it. 
There  was  much  laughing  and  peeping  over 
shoulders,  and  tangling  of  white  and  scarlet 
ribbons,  while  the  gay  music-box  played  on. 

In  the  midst  of  it  Virginia  beckoned  to  the 
Little  Colonel.  "  Come  up-stairs  with  me  for  a 


66        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

minute,  Lloyd,"  she  whispered,  "and  help  me 
look  for  something.  Aunt  Allison  has  for- 
gotten where  she  put  the  box  of  arrows  that 
we  are  to  use  in  the  archery  contest  after 
dinner.  There  is  the  prettiest  prize  for  the 
one  who  hits  the  red  heart  in  the  centre  of 
the  target." 

"  Oh,  do  you  suppose  you  can  hit  it  ? " 
asked  Lloyd,  as  she  and  Virginia  slipped  their 
arms  around  each  other,  and  went  skipping  up 
the  stairs. 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  "  answered  Virginia.  "  I  used 
to  practise  so  much  with  my  Indian  bow  and 
arrow  out  at  the  fort,  that  I  could  hit  centre 
nearly  every  time.  I  am  not  going  to  shoot 
to-night.  Aunt  Allison  thinks  it  wouldn't  be 
fair." 

When  they  reached  the  top  of  the  stairs,  Vir- 
ginia went  into  her  room  to  light  a  wax  taper 
in  one  of  the  tall  silver  candlesticks  on  her 
dressing-table.  "  I  think  that  Aunt  Allison 
must  have  left  those  arrows  in  the  blue  room," 
she  said,  leading  the  way  down  the  cross  hall 
which  went  to  the  north  wing.  "  She  made  the 
pie  in  there  this  morning,  and  all  the  other 
things  were  there.  Nobody  comes  over  in 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY. 


this  part  of  the  house  much  in  winter,  unless 
there  happens  to  be  a  great  deal  of  company." 

The  taper  that  ^ 

Virginia  carried 
was  the  only 
light  in  that  part 
of  the  house. 
When  she 
reached  the  door 
of  the  blue  room 
she  turned  to 
Lloyd.  "  Hold 
the  candle  for  me, 
please,"  she  said,  "  while 
I  look  in  the  closet." 

It  was  a  pretty  picture 
that  the  little  "Queen 
of  Hearts  "  made,  as  she 
stood  in  the  doorway, 
with  the  tall  silver  can- 
dlestick held  high  in  both 
hands.  Her  hair  shone 
like  gold  in  the  candle- 
light, and  her  glittering 
crown  flashed  as  if  a 
circle  of  fairy  fireflies  had  been  caught  in  its 


68        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

soft  meshes.  Her  dark  eyes  peered  anxiously 
around  the  big  shadowy  room,  lighted  only  by 
her  flickering  taper. 

Down-stairs,  Malcolm  and  Keith  were  almost 
quarrelling  about  her.  It  began  by  Malcolm 
taking  his  brother  aside  and  offering  to  trade 
valentines  with  him. 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Keith,  suspiciously. 

"  'Cause  yours  matches  the  Little  Colonel's, 
and  I  want  to  take  her  out  to  dinner,"  ad- 
mitted Malcolm.  "  She  is  the  prettiest  girl 
here." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  trade,"  answered  Keith. 
"  I  want  to  take  her  myself." 

"  I'll  give  you  the  pick  of  any  six  stamps  in 
my  album  if  you  will." 

"  Don't  want  your  old  stamps,"  declared 
Keith,  stoutly.  "I'd  rather  have  the  Little 
Colonel  for  my  partner." 

"  I  think  you  might  trade,"  coaxed  Malcolm. 
"  It's  mean  not  to  when  I'm  the  oldest.  I'll 
give  you  that  Chinese  puzzle  you've  been 
wanting  so  long  if  you  will."  Keith  shook  his 
head. 

Just  then  a  terrific  scream  sounded  in  the 
upper  hall,  followed  by  another  that  made  every 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  69 

one  down-stairs  turn  pale  with  fright.  Two 
voices  were  uttering  piercing  shrieks,  one  after 
another,  so  loud  and  frantic  that  even  the  ser- 
vants in  the  back  part  of  the  house  came  run- 
ning. Miss  Allison,  thinking  of  the  candle  she 
had  told  Virginia  to  light,  and  remembering 
the  thin,  white  dress  the  child  wore,  instantly 
thought  she  must  have  set  herself  afire.  She 
ran  into  the  hall,  so  frightened  that  she  was 
trembling  from  head  to  foot.  Before  she  could 
reach  the  staircase,  Virginia  came  flying  down 
the  steps,  white  as  a  little  ghost,  and  her  eyes 
wide  with  terror.  Throwing  herself  into  her 
aunt's  outstretched  arms,  she  began  to  sob  out 
her  story  between  great,  trembling  gasps. 

"  Oh,  there's  an  awful,  awful  wild  beast  in 
the  blue  room,  nearly  as  tall  as  the  ceiling !  It 
rose  up  and  came  after  us  out  of  the  corner, 
and  if  I  hadn't  slammed  the  door  just  in  time, 
it  would  have  eaten  us  up.  I'm  sure  it  would ! 
Oo-oo-oo  !  It  was  so  awful !  "  she  wailed. 

"Why,  Virginia,"  exclaimed  her  aunt,  dis- 
tressed to  see  her  so  terrified,  "it  must  have 
been  only  a  big  shadow  you  saw.  It  isn't 
possible  for  a  wild  beast  to  be  in  the  blue  room 
you  know.  Where  is  Lloyd  ? " 


7O        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  She's  up  heah,  Miss  Allison,"  called  Mom 
Beck's  voice.  "  She's  so  skeered,  Fse  pow'ful 
'fraid  she  gwine  to  faint.  They  sut'nly  is  some- 
thing in  that  room,  honey,  deed  they  is.  I  kin 
heah  it  movin'  around  now,  switchin'  he's  tail 
an'  growlin' !  " 

Malcolm  and  Keith,  with  guilty  faces,  went 
dashing  up  the  stairs,  and  the  whole  party  fol- 
lowed them  at  a  respectful  distance.  When  they 
opened  the  door  the  room  looked  very  big  and 
shadowy,  and  the  bear,  roused  from  its  nap, 
was  standing  on  its  hind  legs  beside  the  high- 
posted  bed.  The  huge  figure  was  certainly 
enough  to  frighten  any  one  coming  upon  it 
unexpectedly  in  the  dark,  and  when  Miss  Alli- 
son saw  it  she  drew  Virginia's  trembling  hand 
into  hers  with  a  sympathetic  clasp.  Before 
she  could  ask  any  questions,  the  boys  began  an 
excited  explanation.  It  was  some  time  before 
they  could  make  their  story  understood. 

Their  grandmother  was  horrified,  and  insisted 
on  sending  the  animal  away  at  once.  "  The 
idea  of  bringing  such  a  dangerous  creature  into 
any  one's  house,"  she  exclaimed,  "and,  above  all, 
of  shutting  him  up  in  a  bedroom  !  We  might 
have  all  been  bitten,  or  hugged  to  death  !  " 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  /I 

"But,  grandmother,"  begged  Malcolm,  "he 
isn't  dangerous.  Let  me  bring  him  into  the 
light,  and  show  you  what  a  kind  old  pet  he  is." 

There  was  a  scattering  to  the  other  end  of 
the  hall  as  Malcolm  came  out,  leading  the  bear, 
but  the  children  gradually  drew  nearer  as  the 
great  animal  began  its  performances.  Keith 
whistled  and  kept  time  with  his  feet  in  a  funny 
little  shuffling  jig  he  had  learned  from  Jonesy, 
and  the  bear  obligingly  went  through  all  his 
tricks.  He  was  used  to  being  pulled  out  to 
perform  whenever  a  crowd  could  be  collected. 

Virginia  forgot  her  fear  of  him  when  he  stood 
up  and  presented  arms  like  a  real  soldier,  and 
even  went  up  and  patted  him  when  the  show 
was  over,  joining  with  the  boys  in  begging  that 
he  might  be  allowed  to  stay  in  the  house  until 
morning.  Mrs.  Maclntyre  was  determined  to 
send  a  man  down  to  the  cabin  at  once  to 
investigate.  She  had  a  horror  of  tramps.  But 
the  boys  begged  her  to  wait  until  daylight  for 
Jonesy 's  sake. 

"  The  man  will  beat  him  if  he  finds  out  that 
Jonesy  warned  us,"  pleaded  Keith.  He  was 
so  earnest  that  the  tears  stood  in  his  big, 
trustful  eyes. 


72        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"This  is  spoiling  the  party,  mother,"  whis« 
pered  Miss  Allison,  "and  dinner  is  waiting. 
I'll  be  responsible  for  any  harm  that  may  be 
done  if  you  will  let  the  boys  have  their  way 
this  once." 

There  seemed  no  other  way  to  settle  it  just 
then,  so  Bruin  was  allowed  to  go  back  to  his 
rug  in  the  blue  room,  and  the  door  was  securely 
locked. 

Keith  took  Lloyd  down  to  dinner,  and  his 
grandmother  heard  him  apologising  all  the 
way  down  for  having  frightened  her.  The 
little  Queen  of  Hearts  listened  smilingly,  but 
her  colour  did  not  come  back  all  evening,  until 
after  the  archery  contest.  It  was  when  Mal- 
colm came  up  with  the  prize  he  had  won,  a  tiny 
silver  arrow,  and  pinned  it  in  the  knot  of  red 
ribbon  on  her  shoulder. 

"Will  you  keep  it  to  remember  me  by?"  he 
asked,  bashfully. 

"  Of  co'se  ! "  she  answered,  with  a  smile  that 
showed  all  her  roguish  dimples.  "  I'll  keep  it 
fo'evah  and  evah  to  remembah  how  neah  I  came 
to  bein'  eaten  up  by  yo'  bea'h." 

"  It  seems  too  bad  for  such  a  beautiful  party 
to  come  to  an  end,"  Sally  Fairfax  said  when 


'"WILL   YOU    KEEP    IT   TO    REMEMBER    ME    BY? 


THE    VALENTINE    PARTY.  75 

the  last  merry  game  was  played,  the  last  story 
told,  and  it  was  time  to  go  home.  "  But  there's 
one  comfort,"  she  added,  gathering  all  her  gay 
valentines  together,  "  there  needn't  be  any 
end  to  the  remembering  of  it.  I've  had  such 
a  good  time,  Mrs.  Maclntyre." 

It  was  so  late  when  the  last  carriage  rolled 
down  the  avenue,  bearing  away  the  last  smiling 
little  guest,  that  the  children  were  almost  too 
sleepy  to  undress.  It  was  not  long  until  the 
last  light  was  put  out  in  every  room,  and  a 
deep  stillness  settled  over  the  entire  house. 
One  by  one  the  lights  went  out  in  every  home 
in  the  valley,  and  only  the  stars  were  left  shin- 
ing, in  the  cold  wintry  sky.  No,  there  was 
one  lamp  that  still  burned.  It  was  in  the 
little  cottage  where  old  Professor  Heinrich  sat 
bowed  over  his  books. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN. 

SOME  people  said  that  old  Johann  Heinrich 
never  slept,  for  no  matter  what  hour  of  the 
night  one  passed  his  lonely  little  house,  a  lamp 
was  always  burning.  He  was  a  queer  old  Ger- 
man naturalist,  living  by  himself  in  a  cottage 
adjoining  the  Maclntyre  place.  He  had  been 
a  professor  in  a  large  university  until  he  grew 
too  old  to  keep  his  position.  Why  he  should 
have  chosen  Lloydsborough  Valley  as  the  place 
to  settle  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  no  one 
could  tell. 

He  kept  kimself  away  from  his  neighbours, 
and  spent  so  much  time  roaming  around  the 
woods  by  himself  that  people  called  him 
queer.  They  did  not  know  that  he  had 
written  two  big  books  about  the  birds  and 
insects  he  loved  so  well,  or  that  he  could  tell 
them  facts  more  wonderful  than  fairy  tales 
76 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  77 

about  these  little  wild  creatures  of  the  wood- 
land. 

To-night  he  had  read  later  than  usual,  and 
his  fire  was  nearly  out.  He  was  too  poor  to 
keep  a  servant,  so  when  he  found  that  the  coal- 
hod  was  empty  he  had  to  go  out  to  the  kitchen 
to  fill  it  himself.  That  is  why  he  saw  some- 
thing that  happened  soon  after  midnight,  while 
everybody  else  in  the  valley  was  sound 
asleep. 

Over  in  the  cabin  by  the  spring-house  where 
the  boys  had  left  the  tramp  and  Jonesy,  a  puff 
of  smoke  went  curling  around  the  roof.  Then 
a  tongue  of  flame  shot  up  through  the  cedars, 
and  another  and  another  until  the  sky  was  red 
with  an  angry  glare.  It  lighted  up  the  eastern 
window-panes  of  the  servants'  cottage,  but  the 
inmates,  tired  from  the  unusual  serving  of  the 
evening  before,  slept  on.  It  shone  full  across 
the  window  of  Virginia's  room,  but  she  was 
dreaming  of  being  chased  by  bears,  and  only 
turned  uneasily  in  her  sleep. 

The  old  professor,  on  his  way  to  the  kitchen, 
noticed  that  it  seemed  strangely  light  outside. 
He  shuffled  to  the  door  and  looked  out. 

"  Ach    Himmel ! "    he   exclaimed,    excitedly. 


78        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Somebody  vill  shust  in  his  bed  be  burnt,  if 
old  Johann  does  not  haste  make !  " 

Not  waiting  to  close  the  door  behind  him,  or 
even  to  catch  up  something  to  protect  his  old 
bald  head  from  the  intense  cold  of  the  winter 
night,  he  ran  out  across  the  garden.  His  shuffling 
feet,  in  their  flapping  old  carpet  slippers,  forgot 
their  rheumatism,  and  his  shoulders  dropped 
the  weight  of  their  seventy  years.  He  ran  like 
a  boy  across  the  meadow,  through  the  gap  in 
the  fence,  and  down  the  hill  to  the  cabin  by  the 
spring. 

All  one  side  of  it  was  in  flames.  The  fire 
was  curling  around  the  front  door  and  bursting 
through  the  windows  with  fierce  cracklings. 
Dashing  frantically  around  to  the  back  door,  he 
threw  himself  against  it,  shouting  to  know  if 
any  one  was  within.  A  blinding  rush  of  smoke 
was  his  only  answer  as  he  backed  away  from 
the  overpowering  heat,  but  something  fell  across 
the  door-sill  in  a  limp  little  heap.  It  was 
Jonesy. 

Dragging  the  child  to  a  safe  distance  from 
the  burning  building,  he  ran  back,  fearing  that 
some  one  else  might  be  in  danger,  but  this  time 
the  flames  met  him  at  the  door,  and  it  was 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  ?9 

impossible  to  go  in.  His  hoarse  shouting  roused 
the  servants,  but  by  the  time  they  reached  the 
cabin  the  roof  had  fallen  in,  and  all  danger  of 
the  fire  spreading  to  other  buildings  was  over. 

While  the  professor  was  bending  over  Jonesy, 
trying  to  bring  him  back  to  consciousness,  Miss 
Allison  came  running  down  the  path.  She  had 
an  eiderdown  quilt  wrapped  around  her  over  her 
dressing-gown.  The  shouts  had  awakened  her, 
also,  and  she  had  slipped  out  as  quietly  as 
possible,  not  wishing  to  alarm  her  mother. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ? "  she  demanded,  breath- 
lessly. "  Is  the  child  badly  burned  ?  Is  any  one 
else  hurt  ?  Is  the  tramp  in  the  cabin  ?  " 

No  one  gave  any  answer  to  her  rapid  ques- 
tions. The  old  professor  shook  his  head,  but 
did  not  look  up.  He  was  bending  over  Jonesy, 
trying  to  restore  him  to  consciousness.  He 
seemed  to  know  the  right  things  to  do  for  him, 
and  in  a  little  while  the  child  opened  his  eyes 
and  looked  around  wonderingly.  In  a  few  min- 
utes he  was  able  to  tell  what  he  knew  about  the 
fire. 

It  was  not  much,  only  a  horrible  recollection 
of  being  awakened  by  a  feeling  that  he  was 
choking  in  the  thick  smoke  that  filled  the  room  ; 


8O        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

of  hearing  the  boss  swear  at  him  to  be  quick 
and  follow  him  or  he  would  be  burned  to  death. 
Then  there  had  been  an  awful  moment  of  grop- 
ing through  the  blinding,  choking  smoke,  trying 
to  find  a  way  out.  The  man  sprang  to  a  window 
and  made  his  escape,  but  as  the  outside  air 
rushed  in  through  the  opening  he  left,  it  seemed 
to  fan  the  smoke  instantly  into  flame. 

Jonesy  had  struck  out  at  the  wall  of  fire  with 
his  helpless  little  hands,  and  then,  half-crazed 
by  the  scorching  pain,  dropped  to  the  floor  and 
crawled  in  the  opposite  direction,  just  as  the 
professor  burst  open  the  door. 

The  sight  of  the  poor  little  blistered  face 
brought  the  tears  to  Miss  Allison's  eyes,  and 
she  called  two  of  the  coloured  men,  directing 
them  to  carry  Jonesy  to  the  house,  and  then  go 
at  once  for  a  doctor.  But  the  professor  inter- 
fered, insisting  that  Jonesy  should  be  taken  to 
his  house.  He  said  that  he  knew  how  to  pre- 
pare the  cooling  bandages  that  were  needed,  and 
that  he  would  sit  up  all  night  to  apply  them. 
He  could  not  sleep  anyhow,  he  said,  after  such 
great  excitement. 

"  But  I  feel  responsible  for  him,"  urged  Miss 
Allison.  "  Since  it  happened  on  our  place,  and 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  8 1 

my  little  nephews  brought  him  here,  it  seems  to 
me  that  we  ought  to  have  the  care  of  him." 

The  professor  waved  her  aside,  lifting  Jonesy's 
head  as  tenderly  as  a  nurse  could  have  done,  and 
motioned  the  coloured  men  to  lift  him  up. 

"  No,  no,  fraulein,"  he  said.  "  I  have  had 
eggsperience.  It  is  besser  the  poor  leedle 
knabe  go  mit  me  !  " 

There  was  no  opposing  the  old  man's  masterful 
way.  Miss  Allison  stepped  aside  for  them  to  pass, 
calling  after  him  her  willingness  to  do  the  nurs- 
ing he  had  taken  upon  himself,  and  insisting  that 
she  would  come  early  in  the  morning  to  help. 

Unc'  Henry  was  left  to  guard  the  ruins,  lest 
some  stray  spark  should  be  blown  toward  the 
other  buildings.  "  Dis  yere  ole  niggah  wa'n't 
mistaken  aftah  all,"  he  muttered.  "  Dee  was 
somebody  prowlin'  'roun'  de  premises  yistiddy 
evenin'."  Then  he  searched  the  ground,  all 
around  the  cabin,  for  footprints  in  the  snow. 
He  found  some  tracks  presently,  and  followed 
them  over  the  meadow  in  the  starlight,  across 
the  road,  and  down  the  railroad  track  several 
rods.  There  they  suddenly  disappeared.  The 
tramp  had  evidently  walked  on  the  rail  some 
distance.  If  Unc'  Henry  had  gone  quarter  of 


82        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

a  mile  farther  up  the  track,  he  would  have  found 
those  same  sliding  imprints  on  every  other  cross- 
tie,  as  if  the  man  had  taken  long  running  leaps 
in  his  haste  to  get  away. 

Jonesy  stoutly  denied  that  the  man  had  set 
fire  to  the  cabin.  "  We  nearly  froze  to  death 
that  night,"  he  said,  when  questioned  about  it 
afterward,  "and  the  boss  piled  on  an  awful  big 
lot  of  wood  just  before  he  went  to  bed." 

"Then  what  made  him  take  to  his  heels  so 
fast  if  he  didn't  ? "  some  one  asked. 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Jonesy.  "  He 
said  that  luck  was  always  against  him,  and 
maybe  he  thought  nobody  would  believe  him 
if  he  did  say  that  he  didn't  do  it." 

Several  days  after  that  Malcolm  found  the 
tramp's  picture  in  the  Courier-Journal.  He 
was  a  noted  criminal  who  had  escaped  from  a 
Northern  penitentiary  some  two  months  before, 
and  had  been  arrested  by  the  Louisville  police. 
There  was  no  mistaking  him.  That  big,  ugly 
scar  branded  him  on  cheek  and  forehead  like 
another  Cain. 

"And  to  think  that  that  terrible  man  was 
harboured  on  my  place !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Mac- 
Intyre  when  she  heard  of  it.  "  And  you  boys 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  83 

were  down  there  in  the  cabin  with  him  for 
hours  !  Sat  beside  him  and  talked  with  him ! 
What  will  your  mother  say  ?  I  feel  as  if  you 
had  been  exposed  to  the  smallpox,  and  I  cannot 
be  too  thankful  now  that  the  boy  who  was 
with  him  was  not  brought  here.  He  isn't  a 
fit  companion  for  you.  Not  that  the  poor  little 
unfortunate  is  to  blame.  He  cannot  help  be- 
ing a  child  of  the  slums,  and  he  must  be  put 
in  an  orphan  asylum  or  a  reform  school  at 
once.  It  is  probably  the  only  thing  that  can 
save  him  from  growing  up  to  be  a  criminal  like 
the  man  who  brought  him  here.  I  shall  see 
what  can  be  done  about  it,  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  A  child  of  the  slums  !  "  Malcolm  and  Keith 
repeated  the  expression  afterward,  with  only  a 
vague  idea  of  its  meaning.  It  seemed  to  set 
poor  Jonesy  apart  from  themselves  as  some- 
thing unclean,  —  something  that  their  happy, 
well-filled  lives  must  not  be  allowed  to  touch. 

Maybe  if  Jonesy  had  been  an  attractive  child, 
with  a  sensitive  mouth,  and  big,  appealing  eyes, 
he  might  have  found  his  way  more  easily  into 
people's  hearts.  But  he  was  a  lean,  snub-nosed 
little  fellow,  with  a  freckled  face  and  neglected 
hair.  No  one  would  ever  find  his  cheek  a 


84        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

tempting  one  to  kiss,  and  no  one  would  be 
moved,  by  any  feeling  save  pity,  to  stoop  and 
put  affectionate  arms  around  Jonesy.  He  was 
only  a  common  little  street  gamin,  as  unlovely 
as  he  was  unloved. 

"  What  a  blessing  that  there  are  such  places 
as  orphan  asylums  for  children  of  that  class,"  said 
Mrs.  Maclntyre,  after  one  of  her  visits  to  him. 
"  I  must  make  arrangements  for  him  to  be  put 
into  one  as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  be  moved." 

"  I  think  he  will  be  very  loath  to  leave  the 
old  professor,"  answered  Miss  Allison.  "  He  has 
been  so  good  to  the  child,  amusing  him  by  the 
hour  with  his  microscopes  and  collections  of  in- 
sects, telling  him  those  delightful  old  German 
folk-lore  tales,  and  putting  him  to  sleep  every 
night  to  the  music  of  his  violin.  What  a  child- 
lover  he  is,  and  what  a  delightful  old  man  in 
every  way !  I  am  glad  we  have  discovered  him." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Maclntyre  ;  "  and  when  this 
little  tramp  is  sent  away,  I  want  the  children  to 
go  there  often.  I  asked  him  if  he  could  not 
teach  them  this  spring,  at  least  make  a  beginning 
with  them  in  natural  history,  and  he  appeared 
much  pleased.  He  is  as  poor  as  a  church 
mouse,  and  would  be  very  glad  of  the  money." 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  85 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Miss  Allison,  "he 
asked  me  if  the  boys  could  not  come  down  to 
see  Jonesy  this  afternoon,  and  bring  the  bear. 
He  thought  it  would  give  the  little  fellow  so 
much  pleasure,  and  might  help  him  to  forget 
his  suffering." 

Mrs.  Maclntyre  hesitated.  "  I  do  not  be- 
lieve their  mother  would  like  it,"  she  answered. 
"  Sydney  is  careful  enough  about  their  associ- 
ates, but  Elise  is  doubly  particular.  You  can 
imagine  how  much  badness  this  child  must 
know  when  you  remember  how  he  has  been 
reared.  He  told  me  that  his  name  is  Jones 
Carter,  and  that  he  cannot  remember  ever  hav- 
ing a  father  or  a  mother.  I  questioned  him 
very  closely  this  morning.  He  comes  from  the 
worst  of  the  Chicago  slums.  He  slept  in  the 
cellar  of  one  of  its  poorest  tenement  houses,  and 
lived  in  the  gutters.  He  has  a  brother  only  a 
little  older,  who  is  a  bootblack.  On  days  when 
shines  were  plentiful  they  had  something  to 
eat,  otherwise  they  starved  or  begged." 

"  Poor  little  lamb,"  murmured  Miss  Allison. 

"  It  was  by  the  brother's  advice  he  came 
away  with  that  tramp,"  continued  Mrs.  Macln- 
tyre. "  He  had  gotten  possession  of  that 


86   TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

trained  bear  in  some  way,  and  probably  took 
a  fancy  to  Jones  because  he  could  whistle  and 
dance  all  sorts  of  jigs.  He  probably  thought 
it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  have  a  child  with 
him  to  work  on  peoples'  sympathies.  They 
walked  all  the  way  from  Chicago  to  Lloyds- 
borough,  Jones  told  me,  excepting  three  days' 
journey  they  made  in  a  wagon.  They  have 
been  two  months  on  the  road,  and  showed  the 
bear  in  the  country  places  they  passed  through. 
They  avoided  the  large  towns." 

"Think  what  a  Christmas  he  must  have 
had !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Allison. 

"  Christmas !  I  doubt  if  he  ever  heard  the 
word.  His  speech  is  something  shocking ; 
nothing  but  the  slang  of  the  streets,  and  so 
ungrammatical  that  I  could  scarcely  under- 
stand him  at  times.  No,  I  am  very  sure  that 
neither  Sydney  nor  Elise  would  want  the  boys 
to  be  with  him." 

"  But  he  is  so  little,  mother,  and  so  sick  and 
pitiful  looking,"  pleaded  Miss  Allison.  "  Surely 
he  cannot  know  so  very  much  badness  or  hurt 
the  boys  if  they  go  down  to  cheer  him  up  for 
a  little  while." 

Notwithstanding  Mrs.  Maclntyre's  fears,  she 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  87 

consented  to  the  boys  visiting  Jonesy  that 
afternoon.  She  could  not  resist  the  professor's 
second  appeal  or  the  boys'  own  urging. 

They  took  the  bear  with  them,  which  Jonesy 
welcomed  like  a  lost  friend.  They  spent  an 
interesting  hour  among  the  professor's  collec- 
tions, listening  to  his  explanations  in  his  funny 
broken  English.  Then  they  explored  his  cot- 
tage, much  amused  by  his  queer  housekeeping, 
cracked  nuts  on  the  hearth,  and  roasted  apples 
on  a  string  in  front  of  the  fire. 

Jonesy  did  not  seem  to  be  cheered  up  by  the 
visit  as  much  as  the  professor  had  expected. 
Presently  the  old  man  left  the  room  and  Keith 
sat  down  on  the  side  of  the  bed. 

"What  makes  you  so  still,  Jonesy?"  he 
asked.  "  You  haven't  said  a  word  for  the  last 
half  hour." 

"  I  was  thinking  about  Barney,"  he  answered, 
keeping  his  face  turned  away.  "  Barney  is  my 
brother,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  so  grandmother  said,"  answered  Keith. 
"  How  big  is  he  ? " 

"  'Bout  as  big  as  yourn."  There  was  a  choke 
in  Jonesy's  voice  now.  "  Seein'  yourn  put  his 
arm  across  your  shoulder  and  pullin'  your  head 


88        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

back  by  one  ear  and  pinchin'  you  sort  in  fun  like, 
made  me  think  the  way  Barney  uster  do  to  me." 

Keith  did  not  know  what  to  say,  so  there  was 
a  long,  awkward  pause. 

"  I'd  never  a-left  him,"  said  Jonesy,  "  but  the 
boss  said  it  'ud  only  be  a  little  while  and  we'd 
make  so  much  money  showin'  the  bear  that  I'd 
have  a  whole  pile  to  take  home.  I  could  ride 
back  on  the  cars  and  take  a  whole  trunk  full  of 
nice  things  to  Barney,  —  clothes,  and  candy,  and 
a  swell  watch  and  chain,  and  a  bustin'  beauty  of 
a  bike.  Now  the  bear's  sold  and  the  boss  has 
run  away,  and  I  don't  know  how  I  can  get  back 
to  Barney,  Him  an  me's  all  each  other's  got, 
and  I  want  to  see  him  so  bad." 

The  little  fellow's  lip  quivered,  and  he  put  up 
one  bandaged  hand  to  wipe  away  the  hot  tears 
that  would  keep  coming,  in  spite  of  his  efforts 
not  to  make  a  baby  of  himself.  There  was 
something  so  pitiful  in  the  gesture  that  Keith 
looked  across  at  Malcolm  and  then  patted  the 
bedclothes  with  an  affectionate  little  hand. 

"Never  mind,  Jonesy,"  he  said,  "papa  will 
be  home  in  the  spring  and  he'll  send  you  back 
to  Barney."  But  Jonesy  never  having  known 
anything  of  fathers  whose  chief  pleasure  is  in 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN. 


89 


spending  money  to  make  little  sons  happy,  was 
not  comforted  by  that  promise  as  much  as 
Keith  thought  he  ought  to  be. 

"  But  I  won't  be  here  then,"  he  sobbed. 
"They're  goin'  to  put  me  in  a  'sylum,  and  I 
can't  get  out  for  so  long  that  maybe  Barney  will 
be  dead  before  we  ever  find  each  other  again." 


He  was  crying  violently  now. 

"  Who  is  going  to  put  you  in  an  asylum  ? " 
asked  Malcolm,  lifting  an  end  of  the  pillow 
under  which  Jonesy's  head  had  burrowed,  to 
hide  the  grief  that  his  eight-year-old  manhood 
made  him  too  proud  to  show. 

"  An  old  lady  with  white  hair  what  comes 
here  every  day.  The  professor  said  he  would 


QO        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

keep  me  if  he  wasn't  so  old  and  hard  up,  ana 
she  said  as  how  a  'sylum  was  the  proper  place 
for  a  child  of  the  slums,  and  he  said  yes  if  they 
wasn't  nobody  to  care  for  'em.  But  I've  got 
somebody  !  "  he  cried.  "  I've  got  Barney  !  Oh, 
dorit  let  them  shut  me  up  somewhere  so  I  can't 
never  get  back  to  Barney  !  " 

"They  don't  shut  you  up  when  they  send 
you  to  an  asylum,"  said  Malcolm.  "  The  one 
near  here  is  a  lovely  big  house,  with  acres  of 
green  grass  around  it,  and  orchards  and  vine- 
yards, and  they  are  ever  so  good  to  the  chil- 
dren, and  give  them  plenty  to  eat  and  wear, 
and  send  them  to  school." 

"  Barney  wouldn't  be  there,"  sobbed  Jonesy, 
diving  under  the  pillow  again.  "  I  don't  want 
nothing  but  him." 

"  Well,  we'll  see  what  we  can  do,"  said  Mal- 
colm, as  he  heard  the  professor  coming  back. 
"  If  we  could  only  keep  you  here  until  spring, 
I  am  sure  that  papa  would  send  you  back  all 
right.  He's  always  helping  people  that  get 
into  trouble." 

Jonesy  took  his  little  snub  nose  out  of  the 
pillow  as  the  professor  came  in,  and  looked 
around  defiantly  as  if  ready  to  fight  the  first 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  $t 

one  who  dared  to  hint  that  he  had  been  crying. 
The  boys  took  their  leave  soon  after,  leading 
the  bear  back  to  his  new  quarters  in  the  car- 
riage house,  where  they  had  made  him  a  com- 
fortable den.  Then  they  walked  slowly  up  to 
the  house,  their  arms  thrown  across  each 
other's  shoulders. 

"  S'pose  it  was  us,"  said  Keith,  after  walk- 
ing on  a  little  way  in  silence.  "  S'pose  that 
you  and  I  were  left  of  all  the  family,  and  didn't 
have  any  friends  in  the  world,  and  I  was  to 
get  separated  from  you  and  couldn't  get 
back?" 

"That  would  be  tough  luck,  for  sure,"  an- 
swered Malcolm. 

"  Don't  you  s'pose  Jonesy  feels  as  badly 
about  it  as  we  would  ? "  asked  Keith. 

"Shouldn't  be  surprised,"  said  Malcolm,  be- 
ginning to  whistle.  Keith  joined  in,  and  keep- 
ing step  to  the  tune,  like  two  soldiers,  they 
marched  on  into  the  house. 

Virginia  found  them  in  the  library,  a  little 
while  later,  sitting  on  the  hearth-rug,  tailor- 
fashion.  They  were  still  talking  about  Jonesy. 
They  could  think  of  nothing  else  but  the  lone- 
liness of  the  little  waif,  and  his  pitiful  appeal : 


92        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Oh,  don't  let  them  shut  me  up  where  I  can't 
never  get  back  to  Barney." 

"Why  don't  you  write  to  your  father?" 
asked  Virginia,  when  they  had  told  her  the 
story  of  their  visit. 

"  Oh,  it  is  so  hard  to  explain  things  in  a 
letter,"  answered  Malcolm,  "and  being  off 
there,  he'd  say  that  grandmother  and  all  the 
grown  people  certainly  know  best.  But  if  he 
could  see  Jonesy, — how  pitiful  looking  he  is, 
and  hear  him  crying  to  go  back  to  his  brother, 
I  know  he'd  feel  the  way  we  do  about  it." 

"  I  called  the  professor  out  in  the  hall,  and 
told  him  so,"  said  Keith,  "and  asked  him  if  he 
couldn't  adopt  Jonesy,  or  something,  until  papa 
comes  home.  But  he  said  that  he  is  too  poor. 
He  has  only  a  few  dollars  a  month  to  live  on. 
I  didn't  mind  asking  him.  He  smiled  in  that 
big,  kind  way  he  always  does.  He  said  Jonesy 
was  lots  of  company,  and  he  would  like  to  keep 
him  this  summer,  if  he  could  afford  it,  and 
let  him  get  well  and  strong  out  here  in  the 
country." 

"  Then  he  would  keep  him  till  Uncle  Sydney 
comes,  if  somebody  would  pay  his  board  ? " 
asked  Virginia. 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  93 

"Yes,"  said  Malcolm,  "but  that  doesn't  help 
matters  much,  for  we  children  are  the  only 
ones  who  want  him  to  stay,  and  our  monthly 
allowances,  all  put  together,  wouldn't  be 
enough." 

"  We  might  earn  the  money  ourselves,"  sug- 
gested Virginia,  after  awhile,  breaking  a  long 
silence. 

"  How  ?  "  demanded  Malcolm.  "  Now,  Gin- 
ger, you  know,  as  well  as  I  do,  there  is  no  way 
for  us  to  earn  anything  this  time  of  year.  You 
can't  pick  fruit  in  the  dead  of  winter,  can  you  ? 
or  pull  weeds,  or  rake  leaves  ?  What  other 
way  is  there  ? " 

"  We  might  go  to  every  house  in  the  valley, 
and  exhibit  the  bear,"  said  Keith,  "  taking  up 
a  collection  each  time." 

"Now  you've  made  me  think  of  it,"  cried 
Virginia,  excitedly.  "  I've  thought  of  a  good 
way.  We'll  give  Jonesy  a  benefit,  like  great 
singers  have.  The  bear  will  be  the  star  per- 
former, and  we'll  all  act,  too,  and  sell  the  tick- 
ets, and  have  tableaux.  I  love  to  arrange 
tableaux.  We  were  always  having  them  out 
at  the  fort." 

"  I  bid  to  show  off  the  bear,"  cried  Malcolm, 


94        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

entering  into  Virginia's  plan  at  once.     "May 
be  I'll  learn  something  to  recite,  too." 

"I'll  help  print  the  tickets,"  said  Keith, 
"and  go  around  selling  them,  and  be  in  any^ 
thing  you  want  me  to  be.  How  many  tableaux 
are  you  going  to  have,  Ginger  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  yet,"  she  answered,  but  a 
moment  after  she  cried  out,  her  eyes  shining 
with  pleasure,  "  Oh,  I've  thought  of  a  lovely 
one.  We  can  have  the  Little  Colonel  and  the 
bear  for  '  Beauty  and  the  Beast.' ' 

Malcolm  promptly  turned  a  somersault  on 
the  rug,  to  express  his  approval,  but  came  up 
with  a  grave  face,  saying,  "  I'll  bet  that  grand- 
mother will  say  we  can't  have  it." 

"  Let's  get  Aunt  Allison  on  our  side,"  sug- 
gested Virginia.  "  She's  up  in  her  room  now, 
painting  a  picture." 

A  little  sigh  of  disappointment  escaped  Miss 
Allison's  lips,  as  she  heard  the  rush  of  feet  on 
the  stairs.  This  was  the  first  time  that  she  had 
touched  her  brushes  since  the  children's  com- 
ing, and  she  had  hoped  that  this  one  after- 
noon would  be  free  from  interruption,  when  she 
heard  them  planning  their  afternoon's  occupa- 
tions at  the  lunch-table.  They  had  come  back 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  95 

before  the  little  water-colour  sketch  she  was 
making  was  quite  finished. 

There  was  no  disappointment,  however,  in 
the  bright  face  she  turned  toward  them,  and 
Virginia  lost  no  time  in  beginning  her  story. 
She  had  been  elected  to  tell  it,  but  before  it 
was  done  all  three  had  had  a  part  in  the 
telling,  and  all  three  were  waiting  with  wistful 
eyes  for  her  answer. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  you  want  me  to  do  ?  "  she 
asked,  finally. 

"  Oh,  just  be  on  our  side  !  "  they  exclaimed, 
"and  get  grandmother  to  say  yes.  You  see 
she  doesn't  feel  about  Jonesy  the  way  we  do. 
She  is  willing  to  pay  a  great  deal  of  money 
to  have  him  taken  off  and  cared  for,  but 
she  says  she  doesn't  see  how  grandchildren 
of  hers  can  be  so  interested  in  a  little  tramp 
that  comes  from  nobody  knows  where,  and  who 
will  probably  end  his  days  in  a  penitentiary." 

Aunt  Allison  answered  Malcolm's  last  re- 
mark a  little  sternly.  "  You  must  understand 
that  it  is  only  for  your  own  good  that  she  is 
opposed  to  Jonesy's  staying,"  she  said.  "  There 
is  nobody  in  the  valley  so  generous  and  kind 
to  the  poor  as  your  grandmother." 


96        TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"Yes'm,"  said  Virginia,  meekly,  "but  you'll 
ask  her,  won't  you  please,  auntie  ?  " 

Miss  Allison  smiled  at  her  persistence.  "  Wait 
until  I  finish  this,"  she  said.  "  Then  I'll  go 
down-stairs  and  put  the  matter  before  her,  and 
report  to  you  at  dinner-time.  Now  are  you 
satisfied  ? " 

"Yes,"  they  cried  in  chorus,  "  you're  on  our 
side.  It's  all  right  now !  "  With  a  series  of 
hearty  hugs  that  left  her  almost  breathless, 
they  hurried  away. 

When  Miss  Allison  kept  her  promise  she 
did  not  go  to  her  mother  with  the  children's 
story  of  Jonesy,  to  move  her  to  pity.  She 
told  her  simply  what  they  wanted,  and  then 
said,  "  Mother,  you  know  I  have  begun  to  teach 
the  children  the  'Vision  of  Sir  Launfal.'  Vir- 
ginia has  learned  every  word  of  it,  and  the  boys 
will  soon  know  all  but  the  preludes.  There 
will  never  be  a  better  chance  than  this  for 
them  to  learn  the  lesson  : 

"  '  Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share, 
For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare.' 

"This  would  be  a  real  sharing  of  themselves, 
all  their  time  and  best  energies,  for  they  will 


A    FIRE    AND    A    PLAN.  97 

have  to  work  hard  to  get  up  such  an  entertain- 
ment as  this.  It  isn't  for  Jonesy's  sake  I  ask 
it,  but  for  the  children's  own  good." 

The  old  lady  looked  thoughtfully  into  the  fire 
a  moment,  and  then  said,  "  Maybe  you  are  right, 
Allison.  I  do  want  to  keep  them  unspotted 
from  a  knowledge  of  the  world's  evils,  but  I 
do  not  want  to  make  them  selfish.  If  this 
little  beggar  at  the  gate  can  teach  them  where 
to  find  the  Holy  Grail,  through  unselfish  ser- 
vice to  him,  I  do  not  want  to  stand  in  the  way. 
Bless  their  little  hearts,  they  may  play  Sir 
Launfal  if  they  want  to,  and  may  they  have 
as  beautiful  a  vision  as  his  1 " 


CHAPTER   V. 
JONESY'S   BENEFIT. 

THE  Jonesy  Benefit  grew  like  Jack's  bean- 
stalk after  Miss  Allison  took  charge  of  it. 
There  was  less  than  a  week  in  which  to  get 
ready,  as  the  boys  insisted  on  having  it  on  the 
twenty-second  of  February,  in  honour  of  Wash- 
ington's birthday  ;  but  in  that  short  time  the 
childish  show  which  Ginger  had  proposed  grew 
into  an  entertainment  so  beautiful  and  elabo- 
rate that  the  neighbourhood  talked  of  it  for 
weeks  after. 

Miss  Allison  spent  one  sleepless  night,  plan- 
ning her  campaign  like  a  general,  and  next  morn- 
ing had  an  army  of  helpers  at  work.  Before 
the  day  was  over  she  sent  a  letter  to  an  old 
school  friend  of  hers  in  the  city,  Miss  Eleanor 
Bond,  who  had  been  her  most  intimate  com- 
panion all  through  her  school-days,  and  who 
still  spent  a  part  of  every  summer  with  her. 

"Dearest  Nell,"  the  letter  said,  "come  out 
98 


JONESY  S    BENEFIT.  99 

to-morrow  on  the  first  afternoon  train,  if  you 
love  me.  The  children  are  getting  up  an  en- 
tertainment for  charity,  which  shall  be  duly 
explained  on  your  arrival.  No  time  now.  I 
am  superintending  a  force  of  carpenters  in  the 
college  hall,  where  the  entertainment  is  to  take 
place,  have  two  seamstresses  in  the  house 
hurrying  up  costumes,  and  am  helping  mother 
scour  the  country  for  pretty  children  to  put  in 
the  tableaux. 

"  The  house  is  like  an  ant-hill  in  commotion, 
there  is  so  much  scurrying  around  ;  but  I  know 
that  is  what  you  thoroughly  enjoy.  You  shall 
have  a  finger  in  every  pie  if  you  will  come  out 
and  help  me  to  make  this  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
occasion. 

"  I  want  to  make  the  old  days  of  chivalry 
live  again  for  Virginia  and  Malcolm  and  Keith. 
I  am  going  back  to  King  Arthur's  Court  for 
the  flower  of  knighthood  at  his  round  table. 
Come  and  read  for  us  between  tableaux  as 
only  you  can  do.  Be  the  interpreter  of  '  Sir 
Launfal's  Vision'  and  the  'Idylls  of  the  King.' 
Give  us  the  benefit  of  your  talent  for  sweet 
charity's  sake,  if  not  for  the  sake  of  '  auld  lang 
syne  '  and  your  devoted  ALLISON." 


TOO     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"She'll  be  here,"  said  Miss  Allison,  as  she 
sealed  the  letter,  nodding  confidently  to  Mrs. 
Sherman,  who  had  come  over  to  help  with 
Lloyd's  costume.  "  You  remember  Nell  Bond, 
do  you  not  ?  She  took  the  prize  every  year  in 
elocution,  and  was  always  in  demand  at  every 
entertainment.  She  is  the  most  charming 
reader  I  ever  heard,  and  as  for  story-telling  — 
well,  she's  better  than  the  'Arabian  Nights.' 
You  must  let  the  Little  Colonel  come  over 
every  evening  while  she  is  here." 

Miss  Bond  arrived  the  next  day,  and  her 
visit  was  a  time  of  continual  delight  to  the 
children.  They  followed  her  wherever  she 
went,  until  Mrs.  Maclntyre  laughingly  called 
her  the  '  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,'  and  asked 
what  she  had  done  to  bewitch  them. 

The  first  night  they  gathered  around  the 
library-table,  all  as  busy  as  bees.  Keith  and  the 
Little  Colonel  were  cutting  tinsel  into  various 
lengths  for  Virginia  to  tie  into  fringe  for  a  gay 
banner.  Malcolm  was  gilding  some  old  spurs, 
Mrs.  Maclntyre  sat  stringing  yards  of  wax 
beads,  that  gleamed  softly  in  the  lamplight  like 
great  rope  of  pearls,  and  Mrs.  Sherman  was 
painting  the  posters,  which  were  to  be  put  up 


JONESY  S    BENEFIT.  IOI 

in  the  post-office  and  depot  as  advertisements 
of  the  Jonesy  Benefit. 

Miss  Allison,  who  had  been  busy  for  hours 
with  pasteboard  and  glue,  tin-foil  and  scissors, 
held  up  the  suit  of  mail  which  she  had  just 
finished. 

"  Isn't  that  fine  !  "  cried  Malcolm.  "  It  looks 
exactly  like  some  of  the  armour  we  saw  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  doesn't  it,  Keith  ?  " 

"  I've  thought  of  a  riddle ! "  exclaimed  Vir- 
ginia. "  Why  is  Aunt  Allison's  head  like 
Aladdin's  lamp?" 

"'Cause  it's  so  bright?"  ventured  Malcolm. 

"  No  ;  because  she  has  only  to  rub  it,  and 
everything  she  thinks  of  appears.  I  don't  see 
how  it  is  possible  to  make  so  many  beautiful 
things  out  of  almost  nothing." 

Virginia  looked  admiringly  around  at  all  the 
pretty  articles  scattered  over  the  room.  A 
helmet  with  nodding  white  plumes  lay  on  the 
piano.  A  queen's  robe  trailed  its  royal  ermine 
beside  it.  A  sword  with  a  jewelled  hilt  shone 
on  the  mantel,  and  a  dozen  dazzling  shields 
were  ranged  in  various  places  on  the  low  book- 
shelves. 

It  was  easy,  in  the  midst  of  such  surround- 


IO2     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

ings,  for  the  children  to  imagine  themselves 
back  in  the  days  of  King  Arthur  and  his  court, 
while  Miss  Bond  sat  there  telling  them  such 
beautiful  tales  of  its  fair  ladies  and  noble 
knights.  Indeed,  before  the  day  of  the  enter- 
tainment came  around  they  even  found  them- 
selves talking  to  each  other  in  the  quaint  speech 
of  that  olden  time. 

When  Malcolm  accidentally  ran  against  his 
grandmother  in  the  hall,  instead  of  his  usual, 
"  Oh,  excuse  me,  grandmother,"  it  was  "  Prithee 
grant  me  gracious  pardon,  fair  dame.  Not  for 
a  king's  ransom  would  I  have  thus  jostled  thee 
in  such  unseemly  haste !  "  And  Ginger,  instead 
of  giving  Keith  a  slap  when  he  teasingly  penned 
her  up  in  a  corner,  to  make  her  divide  some 
nuts  with  him,  said,  in  a  most  tragic  way,  "  Un- 
hand me,  villain,  or  by  my  troth  thou'lt  rue  this 
ruffian  conduct  sore !  " 

The  library-table  was  strewn  with  books  of 
old  court  life,  and  pictures  of  kings  and  queens 
whose  costumes  were  to  be  copied  in  the  tab- 
leaux. There  was  one  book  which  Keith  car- 
ried around  with  him  until  he  had  spelled  out  the 
whole  beautiful  tale.  It  was  called  "  In  Kings' 
Houses,"  and  was  the  story  of  the  little  Duke 


"THERE  WAS  ONE    BOOK   WHICH   KEITH  CARRIED  AROUND 
WITH   HIM." 


JONESY'S  BENEFIT.  105 

ot  Gloster  who  was  made  a  knight  in  his  boy- 
hood. And  when  Keith  had  read  it  himself,  he 
took  it  down  to  the  professor's,  and  read  it  all 
over  again  to  Jonesy. 

"Think  how  grand  he  must  have  looked, 
Jonesy,"  cried  Keith,  "  and  I  am  to  be  dressed 
exactly  like  him  when  I  am  knighted  in  the 
tableau."  Then  he  read  the  description 
again : 

" '  A  suit  of  white  velvet  embroidered  with 
seed  pearls,  and  literally  blazing  with  jewels,  — 
even  the  buttons  being  great  brilliants.  From 
his  shoulder  hung  a  cloak  of  azure  blue  velvet, 
the  colour  of  the  order,  richly  wrought  with 
gold ;  and  around  his  neck  he  wore  the  magnifi- 
cent collar  and  jewel  of  St.  George  and  the 
Dragon,  that  was  the  personal  gift  of  his 
Majesty,  the  king.' 

"Think  how  splendid  it  must  have  been, 
Jonesy,  when  the  procession  came  in  to  the 
music  of  trumpets  and  bugles  and  silver  flutes 
and  hautboys  !  Wouldn't  you  like  to  have  seen 
the  heralds  marching  by,  two  by  two,  in  cloth 
of  gold,  with  an  escort  of  the  queen's  guard 
following  ?  All  of  England's  best  and  bravest 
were  there,  and  they  sat  in  the  carven  stalls  in 


IO6     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

St.  George's  Chapel,  with  their  gorgeous  ban- 
ners drooping  over  them.  I  saw  that  chapel, 
Jonesy,  when  we  were  in  England,  and  I  saw 
where  the  knights  kept  the  '  vigil  of  arms  '  in 
the  holy  places,  the  night  before  they  took  their 
vows."  He  picked  up  the  book  and  read  again  : 
"  '  Fasting  and  praying  and  lonely  watching  by 
night  in  the  great  abbey  where  there  are  so 
many  dead  folk.' 

"  Oh,  don't  you  wish  you  could  have  lived  in 
those  days,  Jonesy,  and  have  been  a  knight  ? " 

It  was  all  Greek  to  Jonesy.  The  terms  puz- 
zled him,  but  he  enjoyed  Keith's  description  of 
the  tournaments. 

Several  evenings  after  that,  Keith  went  down 
to  the  cottage  dressed  in  the  beautiful  velvet 
costume  of  white  and  blue,  ablaze  with  rhine- 
stones  and  glittering  jewels.  He  had  been 
wrapped  in  his  Aunt  Allison's  golf  cape,  and, 
as  he  threw  it  off,  Jonesy's  eyes  opened  wider 
and  wider  with  wonder. 

"  Hi !  You  look  like  a  whole  jeweller's 
window ! "  he  cried,  dazzled  by  the  gorgeous 
sight.  The  professor  lighted  another  lamp, 
and  Keith  turned  slowly  around,  to  be  admired 
on  e^ery  side  like  a  pleased  peacock. 


JONESYS  BENEFIT.  10^ 

"  Of  course  it's  all  only  imitation,"  he  ex- 
plained, "but  it  will  look  just  as  good  as  the 
real  thing  behind  the  footlights.  But  you  ought 
to  see  the  stage  when  it's  fixed  up  to  look  like 
the  Hall  of  the  Shields,  if  you  want  to  see 
glitter.  It's  be-j#-tiful !  Like  the  one  at 
Camelot,  you  know." 

But  Jonesy  did  not  know,  and  Keith  had  to 
tell  about  that  old  castle  at  Camelot,  as  Miss 
Bond  had  told  him.  How  that  down  the  side 
of  the  long  hall  ran  a  treble  range  of  shields,  — 

"And  under  every  shield  a  knight  was  named, 
For  such  was  Arthur's  custom  in  his  hall. 
When  some  good  knight  had  done  one  noble 

deed 

His  arms  were  carven  only,  but  if  twain 
His  arms  were  blazoned  also,  but  if  none 
The  shield  was  blank  and  bare,  without  a  sign, 
Saving  the  name  beneath." 

Keith  had  been  greatly  interested  in  watching 
the  carpenters  fix  the  stage  so  that  it  could  be 
made  to  look  like  the  Hall  of  the  Shields  in 
a  very  few  moments,  when  the  time  for  that 
tableau  should  come.  He  knew  where  every 
glittering  shield  was  to  hang,  and  every  banner 
and  battle-axe. 


IO8     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  How  do  you  suppose  those  knights  felt," 
he  said  to  Jonesy,  "who  saw  their  shields 
hanging  there  year  after  year,  blank  and  bare, 
because  they  had  never  done  even  one  noble 
deed  ?  They  must  have  been  dreadfully  ashamed 
when  the  king  walked  by  and  read  their  names 
underneath,  and  then  looked  up  at  the  shields 
and  saw  nothing  emblazoned  on  them  or  even 
carved.  Seems  to  me  that  I  would  have  done 
something  to  have  made  me  worthy  of  that 
honour  if  I  had  died  for  it ! " 

Something,  —  it  may  have  been  the  soft,  rich 
colour  of  the  jewel-broidered  velvet  the  boy 
wore,  or  maybe  the  flush  that  rose  to  his  cheeks 
at  the  thrill  of  such  noble  thoughts, — some- 
thing had  brought  an  unusual  beauty  into  his 
face.  As  he  stood  there,  with  head  held  high, 
his  dark  eyes  flashing,  his  face  glowing,  and  in 
that  princely  dress  of  a  bygone  day,  he  looked 
every  inch  a  nobleman.  There  was  something 
so  pure  and  sweet,  too,  in  the  expression  of 
his  upturned  face  that  the  light  upon  it 
seemed  to  touch  it  into  an  almost  unearthly 
fairness. 

The  professor,  who  had  been  watching  him 
with  a  tender  smile  on  his  rugged  old  face,  drew 


JONESY'S  BENEFIT.  109 

the  child  toward  him,  and  brushed  the  hair  back 
on  his  forehead. 

"  Ach,  liebchen,"  he  said,  in  his  queer  broken 
speech,  "  thy  shield  will  never  be  blank  and 
bare.  Already  thou  hast  blazoned  it  with  the 
beauty  of  a  noble  purpose,  and  like  Galahad, 
thou  too  shalt  find  the  Grail." 

It  was  Keith's  turn  to  be  puzzled,  but  he  did 
not  like  to  ask  for  an  explanation  ;  there  was 
something  so  solemn  in  the  way  the  old  man 
put  his  hand  on  his  head  as  he  spoke,  almost  as 
if  he  were  bestowing  a  blessing.  Besides,  it 
was  time  to  go  to  the  rehearsal  at  the  college. 
One  of  the  servants  had  come  to  stay  with 
Jonesy  while  the  professor  went  over  to  prac- 
tise on  his  violin.  He  was  to  play  behind  the 
scenes,  a  soft,  low  accompaniment  to  Miss 
Bond's  reading. 

By  eight  o'clock,  the  night  of  the  Benefit, 
every  seat  in  the  house  was  full.  "That's  jolly 
for  Jonesy,"  exclaimed  Malcolm,  peeping  out 
from  behind  the  curtain.  "We  counted  up 
that  ten  cents  a  ticket  would  make  enough,  if 
they  were  all  sold,  to  pay  his  board  till  papa 
comes  home,  and  buy  him  all  the  new  clothes 
he  needs,  too.  Now  every  ticket  is  sold." 


1  10     TWO    LITTLE   KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Hurry  up,  Malcolm,"  called  Keith.   "  We  are 

first  on  the  programme,  and  it  is  time  to  begin." 

There  was  a  great  bustle  behind  the  scenes 


for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  "  Beauty  and  the 
Beast"  was  announced.  When  the  Little 
Colonel  came  on  the  stage  leading  the  great 
bear,  such  a  cheering  and  clapping  began  that 


JONESY  S    BENEFIT.  Ill 

they  both  looked  around,  half  frightened ;  but 
the  boys  followed  immediately  and  the  Little 
Colonel,  dressed  as  a  flower  girl,  danced  out 
to  meet  Keith,  who  came  in  clicking  his  cas- 
tanets in  time  to  Malcolm's  whistling.  The 
bear  was  made  to  go  through  all  his  tricks  and 
his  soldier  drill. 

The  children  in  the  audience  stood  on  tip- 
toe in  their  eagerness  to  see  the  great  animal 
perform,  and  were  so  wild  in  their  applause 
that  the  boys  begged  to  be  allowed  to  take  it 
in  front  of  the  curtain  every  time  during  the 
evening  when  there  was  a  long  pause  while 
some  tableau  was  being  prepared. 

Over  the  rustle  of  fluttering  programmes  and 
the  hum  of  conversation  that  followed  the  first 
number,  there  fell  presently  the  soft,  sweet 
notes  of  the  professor's  violin,  and  Miss  Bond's 
musical  voice  began  the  story  of  the  Vision  of 
Sir  Launfal. 

"  My  golden  spurs  now  bring  to  me, 
And  bring  to  me  my  richest  mail, 
For  to-morrow  I  go  over  land  and  sea 
In  search  of  the  Holy  Grail." 

Here  the  curtains  were  drawn  apart  to  show 
Malcolm  seated  on  his  pony  as  Sir  Launfal,  "  in 


112     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

his  gilded  mail  that  flamed  so  bright."  It  was 
really  a  beautiful  picture  he  made,  and  his 
grandmother,  leaning  forward,  her  face  beam-, 
ing  with  pride  at  the  boy's  noble  bearing,  com- 
pared him  with  Arthur  himself,  "with  lance 
in  rest,  from  spur  to  plume  a  star  of  tourna- 
ment." 

The  next  tableau  showed  him  spurning  the 
leper  at  his  gate,  and  turning  away  in  disgust 
from  the  beggar  who  "  seemed  the  one  blot  on 
the  summer  morn."  How  Miss  Bond's  voice 
rang  out  when  "  the  leper  raised  not  the  gold 
from  the  dust." 

"  Better  to  me  the  poor  man's  crust. 
That  is  no  true  alms  which  the  hand  can  hold. 
He  gives  nothing  but  worthless  gold 
Who  gives  from  a  sense  of  duty." 

In  the  next  tableau  it  was  "as  an  old  bent 
man,  worn-out  and  frail,"  that  Sir  Launfal  came 
back  from  his  weary  pilgrimage.  He  had  not 
found  the  Holy  Grail,  but  through  his  own 
sufferings  he  had  learned  pity  for  all  pain  and 
poverty.  Once  more  he  stood  beside  the  leper 
at  his  castle  gate,  but  this  time  he  stooped  to 
share  with  him  his  crust  and  wooden  bowl  of 
water. 


JONESY'S    BENEFIT.  U3 

Then  it  happened  on  the  stage  just  as  was 
told  in  the  poem. 

A  light  shone  round  about  the  place,  and 
the  crouching  leper  stood  up.  The  old  ragged 
mantle  dropped  off,  and  there  in  a  long  gar- 
ment almost  dazzling  in  its  whiteness,  stood  a 
figure  — 

"  Shining  and  tall,  and  fair,  and  straight 
As  the  pillar  that  stood  by  the  Beautiful  gate." 

They  could  not  see  the  face,  it  was  turned 
aside ;  but  the  golden  hair  was  like  a  glory, 
and  the  uplifted  arms  held  something  high  in 
air  that  gleamed  like  a  burnished  star,  as  all 
the  lights  in  the  room  were  turned  full  upon 
it,  for  a  little  space.  It  was  a  golden  cup. 
Then  the  voice  again  : 

"  In  many  climes  without  avail 
Thou  hast  spent  thy  life  for  the  Holy  Grail. 
Behold  it  is  here  —  this  cup,  which  thou 
Didst  fill  at  the  streamlet  for  me  but  now. 
The  holy  supper  is  kept  indeed 
In  whatso  we  share  with  another's  need." 

It  was  an  old  story  to  most  of  the  audience, 
worn  threadbare  by  many  readings,  but  with 
these  living  illustrations,  and  Miss  Bond's  won- 


114     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

derful  way  of  telling  it,  a  new  meaning  crept 
into  the  well-known  lines,  that  thrilled  every 
listener. 

"  Could  you  understand  that,  Teddy  ?  "  asked 
old  Judge  Fairfax,  patting  his  little  grandson 
on  the  head. 

"Course!"  exclaimed  seven-year-old  Ted, 
who  had  followed  his  sister  Sally  to  every 
rehearsal. 

"When  you  give  money  to  people  just  to 
get  rid  of  'em,  and  because  you  feel  you'd 
ought  to,  it  doesn't  count  for  anything.  But 
if  you  divide  something  you've  got,  and  would 
like  to  keep  it  all  yourself,  because  you  love  to, 
and  are  sorry  for  'em,  then  it  counts  a  pile. 
Sir  Launfal  would  have  popped  Jonesy  into  a 
'sylum  when  he  first  started  out  to  find  that 
gold  cup,  but  when  he  came  back  he'd  'a' 
worked  like  a  horse  getting  up  a  benefit  for 
him,  and  would  have  divided  his  own  home 
with  him,  if  he  hadn't  been  living  at  his  grand- 
mother's, and  couldn't." 

An  amused  smile  went  around  that  part 
of  the  audience  which  overheard  Ted's  shrilly 
given  explanation. 

Pictures  from  the  "Idylls  of  the  King"  fol- 


JONESY'S  BENEFIT.  115 

lowed  in  rapid  succession,  and  then  came  the 
prettiest  of  all,  being  the  one  in  which  Keith 
was  made  a  knight.  Virginia  as  queen,  her 
short  black  hair  covered  by  a  powdered  wig, 
and  a  long  court-train  sweeping  behind  her, 
stood  touching  his  shoulder  with  the  jewel- 
hiked  sword,  as  he  knelt  at  her  feet.  Lloyd 
and  Sally  Fairfax,  Julia  Ferris,  and  a  dozen 
other  pretty  girls  of  the  neighbourhood,  helped 
to  fill  out  the  gay  court  scene,  while  all  the 
boys  that  could  be  persuaded  to  take  part 
were  dressed  up  for  heralds,  guardsmen,  pages, 
and  knights.  That  tableau  had  to  be  shown 
four  times,  and  then  the  audience  kept  on 
applauding  as  if  they  never  intended  to  stop. 

The  last  one  in  this  series  of  tableaux  was 
the  Hall  of  the  Shields,  as  Keith  had  described 
it  to  Jonesy.  A  whole  row  of  dazzling  shields 
hung  across  the  back  of  the  stage,  emblazoned 
with  the  arms  of  all  the  old  knights  whose 
names  have  come  down  to  us  in  song  or 
story.  Then  for  the  first  time  that  evening 
Miss  Bond  came  out  on  the  stage  where  she 
could  be  seen,  and  told  the  story  of  the  death  of 
King  Arthur,  and  the  passing  away  of  the  order 
of  the  Round  Table.  She  told  it  so  well  that 


Il6     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY 

little  Ted  Fairfax  listened  with  his  mouth  open, 
seeming  to  see  the  great  arm  that  rose  out 
of  the  water  to  take  back  the  king's  sword  into 
the  sea,  from  which  it  had  been  given  him. 
An  arm  like  a  giant's,  "clothed  in  white  samite, 
mystic,  wonderful,  that  caught  the  sword  by 
the  hilt,  flourished  it  three  times,  and  drew  it 
under  the  mere." 

"True,  'the  old  order  changeth,'  "  said  Miss 
Bond,  "  but  knighthood  has  not  passed  away. 
The  flower  of  chivalry  has  blossomed  anew  in 
this  new  world,  and  America,  too,  has  her 
Hall  of  the  Shields." 

Just  a  moment  the  curtains  were  drawn 
together,  and  then  were  widely  parted  again, 
as  a  chorus  of  voices  rang  out  with  the  words  : 

"  Hail,  Columbia,  happy  land ; 
Hail,  ye  heroes,  heaven-born  band  ! " 

In  that  moment,  on  every  shield  had  been 
hung  the  pictured  face  of  some  well-known  man 
who  had  helped  to  make  his  country  a  power 
among  the  nations  ;  presidents,  patriots,  philan- 
thropists, statesmen,  inventors,  and  poets,  — 
there  they  were,  from  army  and  navy,  city  and 
farm,  college  halls  and  humble  cabins,  —  a  long, 


JONESY'S  BENEFIT.  117 

long  line,  and  the  first  was  Washington,  and 
the  last  was  the  "  Hero  of  Manila." 

Cheer  after  cheer  went  up,  and  it  might  have 
been  well  to  have  ended  the  programme  there, 
but  to  satisfy  the  military-loving  little  Ginger, 
one  more  was  added. 

"  There  ought  to  be  a  Goddess  of  Liberty  in 
it,"  she  insisted,  "  because  it  is  Washington's 
birthday ;  and  if  we  had  been  doing  it  by 
ourselves  we  were  going  to  have  something  in 
it  about  Cuba,  on  papa's  account." 

So  when  the  curtain  rose  the  last  time,  it 
was  on  Sally  Fairfax  as  a  gorgeous  Goddess  of 
Liberty,  conferring  knighthood  on  two  boys  who 
stood  for  the  Army  and  Navy,  while  a  little  dark- 
eyed  girl  knelt  at  their  feet  as  Cuba,  the  dis- 
tressed maiden  whom  their  chivalry  had  rescued. 

It  was  late  when  the  performance  closed ; 
later  still  when  the  children  reached  home  that 
night,  for  Mrs.  Maclntyre  had  determined  to 
have  a  flash-light  picture  taken  of  them,  and 
they  had  to  wait  until  the  photographer  could 
send  home  for  his  camera. 

After  they  reached  the  house  they  could 
hardly  be  persuaded  to  undress.  Virginia 
trailed  up  and  down  the  halls  in  her  royal 


Il8     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 


robes,  Malcolm  clanked  around  in  his  suit 
of  mail  and  plumed  helmet,  and  Keith 
stood  before  a  mirror,  admiring 
the  handsome  little  figure  it 
showed  him. 

"  I  hate  to  take  it  off," 
*  said,  fingering  the 
dazzling  collar,  ablaze 
with  jewels.  "  I'd 
like  to  be  a  knight 
always,  and  wear  a 
sword  and  spurs 
every  day." 
"So  would  I," 
said  Malcolm,  be- 
ginning to  yawn  sleep- 
ily. "  I  wish  that 
Jonesy  had  been  well 
enough  to  go  to-night. 
Isn't  it  splendid  that 
the  Benefit  turned 
out  so  well  ?  Aunt 
Allison  says  there  is  plenty  of  money  now  to 
get  Jonesy's  clothes  and  pay  his  board  till  papa 
comes,  and  send  him  back  to  Barney,  too,  if 
papa  thinks  best  and  hasn't  any  better  plan." 


JONESY  S    BENEFIT.  I  19 

"  I  wish  there'd  been  enough  money  to  buy 
a  nice  little  home  out  here  in  the  country  for 
him  and  Barney.  Wouldn't  it  have  been  lovely 
if  there  had  a-been  ?  "  cried  Keith. 

"  Well,  I  should  say  ! "  answered  Malcolm. 
"  Maybe  we  can  have  another  benefit  some  day 
and  make  enough  for  that." 

With  this  pleasant  prospect  before  them, 
they  laid  aside  their  knightly  garments,  hoping 
to  put  them  on  again  soon  in  Jonesy's  behalf, 
and  talked  about  the  home  that  might  be  his 
some  day,  until  they  fell  asleep. 

The  flash-light  pictures  of  the  three  children 
were  all  that  the  fondest  grandmother  could 
wish.  As  soon  as  they  came,  Keith  carried  his 
away  to  his  room  to  admire  in  private.  "  It  is 
so  pretty  that  it  doesn't  seem  it  can  be  me,"  he 
said,  propping  it  up  on  the  desk  before  him. 
"  I  wish  that  I  could  look  that  way  always." 

The  next  time  that  Miss  Allison  went  into 
the  room  she  found  that  Keith  had  written 
under  it  in  his  round,  boyish  hand,  a  quotation 
that  had  taken  his  fancy  the  first  time  he  heard 
it.  It  was  in  one  of  Miss  Bond's  stories,  and  he 
repeated  it  until  he  learned  it:  " Live  pure, 


I2O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

speak  truth,  right  the  wrong,  follow  the  king ; 
else  wherefore  born  ?  " 

She  asked  him  about  it  at  bedtime.  "  Why, 
that's  our  motto,"  he  explained.  "  Malcolm 
has  it  written  under  his,  too.  We've  made  up 
our  minds  to  be  a  sort  of  knight,  just  as  near 
the  real  thing  as  we  can,  you  know,  and  that  is 
what  knights  have  to  do :  live  pure,  and  speak 
truth,  and  right  the  wrong.  We've  always 
tried  to  do  the  first  two,  so  that  won't  be  so 
hard.  It's  righting  the  wrong  that  will  be  the 
tough  job,  but  we  have  done  it  a  little  teenty, 
weenty  bit  for  Jonesy,  don't  you  think,  auntie  ? 
It  was  all  wrong  that  he  should  have  such  a 
hard  time  and  be  sent  to  an  asylum  away  from 
Barney,  when  we  have  you  all  and  everything 
nice.  Malcolm  and  I  have  been  talking  it  over. 
If  we  could  do  something  to  keep  him  from  grow- 
ing up  into  a  tramp  like  that  awful  man  that 
brought  him  here,  wouldn't  that  be  as  good  a 
deed  as  some  that  the  real  knights  did  ? 
Wouldn't  that  be  serving  our  country,  too, 
Aunt  Allison,  just  a  little  speck  ?  "  He  asked 
the  question  anxiously.  Malcolm  said  nothing, 
but  also  waited  with  a  wistful  look  for  her 
answer. 


JONESYS    BENEFIT.  121 

"  My  dear  little  Sir  Galahads,"  she  said, 
bending  over  to  give  each  of  the  boys  a  good- 
night kiss,  "  you  will  be  '  really  truly '  knights  if 
you  can  live  up  to  the  motto  you  have  chosen. 
Heaven  help  you  to  be  always  as  worthy  of 
that  title  as  you  are  to-night !  " 

Keith  held  her  a  moment,  with  both  arms 
around  her  neck.  "  What  does  that  mean, 
auntie  ?  "  he  asked.  "  That  is  what  the  pro- 
fessor said,  too,  —  Galahad." 

"  It  is  too  late  to  explain  to  you  to-night," 
she  said,  "but  I  will  tell  you  sometime  soon, 
dear." 

It  was  several  days  before  she  reminded  them 
of  that  promise.  Then  she  called  them  into  her 
room  and  told  them  the  story  of  Sir  Galahad, 
the  maiden  knight,  whose  "  strength  was  as  the 
strength  of  ten  because  his  heart  was  pure." 
Then  from  a  little  morocco  case,  lined  with 
purple  velvet,  she  took  two  pins  that  she  had 
bought  in  the  city  that  morning.  Each  was  a 
little  white  enamel  flower  with  a  tiny  diamond 
in  the  centre,  like  a  drop  of  dew. 

"  You  can't  wear  armour  in  these  days,"  she 
said,  as  she  fastened  one  on  the  lapel  of  each 
boy's  coat,  "  but  this  shall  be  the  badge  of  your 


122     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

knighthood,  —  '  wearing  the  white  flower  'of  a 
blameless  life.'  The  little  pins  will  help  you  to 
remember,  maybe,  and  will  remind  you  that  you 
are  pledged  to  right  the  wrong  wherever  you 
find  it,  in  little  things  as  well  as  great." 

It  was  a  very  earnest  talk  that  followed.  The 
boys  came  out  from  her  room  afterward,  wear- 
ing the  tiny  white  pins,  and  with  a  sweet  seri- 
ousness in  their  faces.  A  noble  purpose  had 
been  born  in  their  hearts  ;  but  alas  for  chivalry  ! 
the  first  thing  they  did  was  to  taunt  Virginia 
with  the  fact  that  she  could  never  be  a  knight 
because  she  was  only  a  girl. 

"  I  don't  care,"  retorted  Ginger,  quickly. 
"I  can  be  a  —  a  — patriot,  anyhow,  and  that's 
lots  better." 

The  boys  laughed,  and  she  flushed  angrily. 

"  They  ought  to  mean  the  same  thing  exactly 
in  this  day  of  the  world,"  said  Miss  Allison, 
coming  up  in  time  to  hear  the  dispute  that 
followed.  "  Virginia,  you  shall  have  a  badge, 
too.  Run  into  my  room  and  bring  me  that 
little  jewelled  flag  on  my  cushion." 

"  I  think  that  this  is  the  very  prettiest  piece 
of  jewelry  you  have,"  exclaimed  Virginia,  com- 
ing back  with  the  pin.  It  was  a  little  flag 


JONES YS    BENEFIT.  123 

whose  red,  white,  and  blue  was  made  of  tiny 
settings  of  garnets,  sapphires,  and  diamonds. 

"  You  think  that,  because  it  is  in  the  shape 
of  a  flag,"  said  Miss  Allison,  with  an  amused 
smile.  "  Well,  it  shall  be  yours.  See  how 
well  it  can  remind  you  of  the  boys'  knightly 
motto.  There  is  the  white  for  the  first  part, 
the  '  live  pure,'  and  the  '  true  blue '  for  the 
'  speak  truth,'  and  then  the  red,  —  surely  no 
soldier's  little  daughter  needs  to  be  told  what 
that  stands  for,  when  her  own  brave  father  has 
spilled  part  of  his  good  red  life-blood  to  '  right 
the  wrong '  on  the  field  of  battle." 

« Oh,  Aunt  Allison !  "  was  all  that  Virginia 
could  gasp  in  her  delight  as  she  clasped  the 
precious  pin  tightly  in  her  hand.  "  Is  it  mine  ? 
For  my  very  own  ?  " 

"  For  your  very  own,  dear,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  !  "  cried  Virginia,  thanking 
her  with  a  kiss.  "  I'd  a  thousand  times  rather 
have  it  than  one  like  the  boys'.  It  means  so 
much  more !  " 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    LITTLE    COLONEL'S    TWO    RESCUES. 

EARLY  in  March,  when  the  crocuses  were 
beginning  to  bud  under  the  dining-room  win- 
dows, there  came  one  of  those  rare  spring 
days  that  seem  to  carry  the  warmth  of  summer 
in  its  sunshine. 

"Exactly  the  kind  of  a  day  for  a  picnic," 
Virginia  had  said  that  morning,  and  when  her 
grandmother  objected,  saying  that  the  ground 
was  still  too  damp,  she  suggested  having  it  in 
the  hay-barn.  The  boys  piled  the  hay  that  was 
left  from  the  winter's  supply  up  on  one  side  of 
the  great  airy  room,  set  wide  the  big  double 
doors,  and  swept  it  clean. 

"  It  is  clean  enough  now  for  even  grand- 
mother to  eat  in,"  said  Virginia,  as  she  spread 
a  cloth  on  the  table  Unc'  Henry  had  carried 
out  for  them.  "  It's  good  enough  for  a  queen. 
Oh,  I'll  tell  you  what  let's  do.  Let's  play  that 
124 


THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  Two  RESCUES.     125 

Malcolm  and  I  are  a  wicked  king  and  queen 
and  Lloyd  is  a  '  fair  ladye  '  that  we  have  shut 
up  in  a  dungeon.  This  will  be  a  banquet,  and 
while  we  are  eating  Keith  can  be  the  knight 
who  comes  to  her  rescue  and  carries  her  off  on 
his  pony." 

"That's  all  right,"  consented  Keith,  "except 
the  eating  part.  How  can  we  get  our  share  of 
the  picnic  ? " 

"We'll  save  it  for  you,"  answered  Virginia, 
"and  you  can  eat  it  afterward." 

"  Save  enough  for  Jonesy,  too,"  said  Keith. 
"  He  shall  be  my  page  and  help  me  rescue  her. 
I'll  go  and  ask  him  now." 

The  month  had  made  a  great  change  in 
Jonesy.  With  plenty  to  eat,  his  thin  little 
snub-nosed  face  grew  plump  and  bright.  There 
was  a  good-humoured  twinkle  in  his  sharp  eyes, 
and  being  quick  as  a  monkey  at  imitating  the 
movements  of  those  around  him,  Mrs.  Mac- 
Intyre  found  nothing  to  criticise  in  his  manners 
when  Malcolm  and  Keith  brought  him  into  the 
house.  Their  pride  in  him  was  something  amus- 
ing, and  seeing  that,  after  all,  he  was  an  inoffen- 
sive little  fellow,  she  made  no  more  objections 
to  their  playing  with  him. 


126  TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

By  the  time  Keith  was  back  again  with 
Jonesy,  the  other  guests  had  arrived,  and  the 
Little  Colonel  had  been  lowered  into  a  deep 
feed-bin,  in  lieu  of  a  dungeon.  The  banquet 
began  in  great  state,  but  in  a  few  moments  was 
interrupted  by  a  fearful  shrieking  from  the 
depths  of  the  bin.  The  fair  ladye  protested 
that  she  would  not  stay  in  her  dungeon. 

"There's  nasty  big  spidahs  down  heah ! " 
she  called.  "  Ow  !  One  is  crawlin'  on  my  neck 
now,  and  my  face  is  all  tangled  up  in  cobwebs  ! 
Get  me  out !  Get  me  out !  Quick,  Gingah  !  " 

The  king  sprang  up  to  go  to  her  rescue,  but 
was  promptly  motioned  to  his  seat  again  by  a 
warning  shake  of  the  other  crowned  head. 

*'  Why,  of  course  !  There's  always  spiders  in 
dungeons,"  called  the  wicked  queen,  coolly  help- 
ing herself  to  another  piece  of  chicken.  "  Be- 
sides, you  should  say  '  your  Majesty '  when  you 
are  talking  to  me." 

"  But  there's  a  mouse  in  heah,  too,"  she  called 
back,  in  distress.  "  Oo  !  Oo  !  It  ran  ovah  my 
feet.  If  you  don't  make  them  take  me  out  of 
heah,  Gingah  Dudley,  I'll  do  something  awful 
to  you  !  Murdah  !  Murdah  !  "  she  yelled,  pound- 
ing on  the  sides  of  the  bin  with  both  her 


'THE   LITTLE   COLONEL   HAD   BEEN   LOWERED   INTO   A  DEEF 
FEED-BIN." 


THE    LITTLE    COLONEL*S    TWO    RESCUES.       129 

fists,  and  stamping  her  little  foot  in  a  furious 
rage. 

Seeing  that  Lloyd  was  really  terrified,  and 
fearing  that  her  screams  would  bring  some  one 
from  the  house,  the  royal  couple  and  their 
guests  sprang  to  the  rescue,  nearly  upsetting 
the  banquet  as  they  did  so.  The  game  would 
have  been  broken  up  then,  when  she  was  lifted 
out  from  the  feed-bin,  red  and  angry,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  king's  great  tact.  He  brushed 
the  cobwebs  from  her  face  and  hair,  and  even 
got  down  on  his  royal  knees  to  ask  her  pardon. 

His  polite  coaxing  finally  had  its  effect  on 
the  little  lady,  and  he  persuaded  her  to  climb 
a  ladder  into  a  loft  just  above  them.  Here  on 
a  pile  of  clean  hay,  beside  an  open  window  that 
looked  across  a  peaceful  meadow,  her  anger 
cooled.  Towers  were  far  more  comfortable 
than  dungeons,  in  her  opinion,  and  when  Mal- 
colm came  up  the  ladder  with  a  plateful  of  the 
choicest  morsels  of  the  feast,  she  began  to 
enjoy  her  part  of  the  play.  Jonesy  was  sent 
to  inform  his  knight  of  the  change  from  dungeon 
to  tower,  and  the  banquet  went  merrily  on. 

He  found  Keith  waiting  below  the  barn,  with 
his  pony  tied  to  a  fence.  On  the  other  side  of 


I3O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

the  fence  lay  the  railroad  track,  which  skirted 
the  back  of  Mrs.  Maclntyre's  place  for  over  half 
a  mile. 

"  Do  you  see  that  hand-car  ? "  asked  Keith, 
pointing  with  his  riding-whip  to  one  on  the 
track.  "  The  section  boss  let  Malcolm  and  me 
ride  up  and  down  on  it  all  afternoon  one  day 
this  winter.  Some  workman  left  it  on  the 
switch  while  ago,  and  while  you  were  up  at  the 
barn  I  got  two  darkeys  to  move  it  for  me.  They 
didn't  want  to  at  first,  but  I  knew  that  there'd 
be  no  train  along  for  an  hour,  and  told  'em  so, 
and  they  finally  did  it  for  a  dime  apiece.  As 
soon  as  I  rescue  Lloyd  I'll  dash  down  here  on 
my  pony  with  her  behind  me.  Then  we'll  slip 
through  the  fence  and  get  on  the  hand-car,  and 
be  out  of  sight  around  the  curve  before  the  rest 
get  here.  They  won't  know  where  on  earth 
we've  gone,  and  it  will  be  the  best  joke  on  them. 
It's  down  grade  all  the  way  to  the  section-house, 
so  I  can  push  it  easily  enough  by  myself,  but 
I'll  need  your  help  coming  back,  maybe.  S'pose 
you  cut  across  lots  to  the  section-house  as  soon 
as  I  start  to  the  barn,  and  meet  me  there.  It 
isn't  half  as  far  that  way,  so  you'll  get  there 
as  soon  as  we  do." 


THE    LITTLE    COLONEL'S    TWO    RESCUES.        131 


"All  right,"  said  Jonesy.     "I'm  your  kid." 
"  You  should  say,  '  Tis  well,  Sir  Knight,  I 
fly  to  do  thy  bidding,'  "  prompted  Keith. 


j*  ,^'w 


Jonesy  grinned.  He  could  not  enter  into 
the  spirit  of  the  play  as  the  others  did.  "  Aw, 
I'll  be  on  time,"  he  said ;  then,  as  Keith  untied 
his  pony,  started  on  a  run  across  the  fields. 

The  Lady  Lloyd  had  not  finished  her  repast 


132  TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

when  her  rescuer  appeared,  but  she  put  the 
plate  down  on  the  hay  to  await  her  return, 
and  obediently  climbed  down  the  ladder  he 
placed  for  her.  They  reached  the  fence  before 
the  banqueters  knew  that  she  had  escaped. 
Flinging  the  pony's  bridle  over  a  fence-post, 
when  they  reached  the  edge  of  the  field,  the 
brave  knight  crawled  through  the  fence  and 
pulled  Lloyd  after  him,  tearing  her  dress, 
much  to  that  dainty  little  lady's  extreme 
disgust. 

By  the  time  the  king  and  his  guard  were 
mounted  in  pursuit,  on  the  other  pony  which 
stood  in  waiting,  the  runaways  were  in  the 
hand-car.  It  moved  slowly  at  first,  although 
Keith  was  strong  for  his  age,  and  his  hardy 
little  muscles  were  untiring. 

"  Isn't  it  lovely  ?  "  cried  Lloyd,  as  they  moved 
faster  and  faster  and  swept  around  the  curve. 
"  I  wish  we  could  go  all  the  way  to  Louisville 
on  this."  The  warm  March  wind  fanned  hef 
pink  cheeks,  and  blew  her  soft  light  hair  into 
her  eyes. 

Jonesy  was  waiting  at  the  section-house,  and 
waved  his  cap  as  they  passed.  "  We're  going 
on,  around  the  next  bend,"  shouted  Keith,  as 


THE    LITTLE    COLONELS    TWO    RESCUES.        133 

they  passed  him.  "  Whoop-la !  this  is  fine,  and 
not  a  bit  hard  to  work  !  " 

"  What  will  the  wicked  queen  think  when 
she  can't  find  us  ?  "  asked  Lloyd,  laughing 
happily,  as  they  sped  on  down  the  track. 

"  She'll  think  that  I  am  a  magician  and  have 
spirited  you  away,"  said  Keith. 

"Then  if  you  are  a  magician  you  ought  to 
change  her  into  a  nasty  black  spidah,  to  pay 
her  back  fo'  shuttin'  me  up  with  them  !  "  Lloyd 
was  delighted  with  this  new  play.  For  the 
time  it  seemed  as  if  she  really  were  escaping 
from  a  castle  prison.  Faster  and  faster  they 
went.  Jonesy,  who  had  followed  them  to  the 
second  curve,  stood  watching  them  with  wistful 
eyes,  wishing  he  could  be  with  them.  They 
passed  the  depot,  and  then  the  hand-car  seemed 
to  grow  smaller  and  smaller  as  it  rolled  away, 
until  it  was  only  a  moving  speck  in  the  distance. 
Then  he  turned  and  walked  back  to  the  sec- 
tion-house. 

"  I  s'pect  we've  gone  about  far  enough,"  said 
Keith,  after  awhile.  "  We'd  better  turn  around 
now  and  go  back,  or  the  picnic  will  all  be  over 
before  we  get  our  share.  Let's  wait  here  a 
minute  till  I  rest  my  arms,  and  then  we'll  start." 


134     Two    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

The  place  where  they  had  stopped  was  the 
loneliest  part  of  the  track  that  could  be  found 
in  miles,  on  either  side.  It  was  in  the  midst 
of  a  thick  beech  woods,  and  the  twitter  of  a 
bird,  now  and  then,  was  the  only  sound  in  all 
the  deep  stillness. 

"  What  lovely  green  moss  on  that  bank !  " 
cried  the  Little  Colonel.  "Wouldn't  it  make 
a  beautiful  carpet  for  our  playhouse  down  by 
the  old  mill?" 

"  I'll  get  you  some,"  said  Keith,  gallantly 
springing  from  the  car  and  clambering  up  the 
bank.  Taking  out  his  knife,  he  began  to  cut 
great  squares  of  the  velvety  green  moss,  and 
pile  it  up  to  carry  back  to  the  hand-car. 

Meanwhile  Jonesy  waited  at  the  section- 
house,  digging  his  heels  into  the  cinders  that 
lined  the  track,  and  looking  impatiently  down 
the  road.  Presently  the  section  boss  came 
limping  along  painfully,  and  sat  down  on  the 
bank  in  the  warm  spring  sunshine.  He  had 
dropped  a  piece  of  heavy  machinery  on  his 
foot,  the  week  before,  and  was  only  able  to 
hobble  short  distances. 

Everybody  in  the  Valley  was  interested  in 
Jonesy  since  the  fire  and  the  Benefit  had  made 


THE    LITTLE    COLONELS    TWO    RESCUES.        135 

him  so  well  known,  and  the  man  was  glad  of 
this  opportunity  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  about 
the  boy.  Jonesy,  with  all  the  fearlessness  of 
a  little  street  gamin  brought  up  in  a  big  city, 
answered  him  fearlessly,  even  saucily  at  times, 
much  to  the  man's  amusement. 

"  So  you  want  to  get  a  job  around  here,  do 
you  ? "  said  the  man,  presently,  with  a  grin. 
"  Maybe  I  can  give  you  one.  Know  anything 
about  railroadin'  ? " 

"  Heaps,"  answered  Jonesy.  "  Well,  I'd 
ought  to,  seein'  as  I've  lived  next  door  to  the 
engine  yards  all  my  life,  and  spent  my  time 
dodgin'  the  cop  on  watch  there,  when  I  was 
tryin'  to  steal  rides  on  freight-cars  and  such." 

"Is  that  what  you're  hangin'  around  here 
now  for  ? "  asked  the  man,  with  a  good-natured 
twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"  Nope  !  I'm  waiting  for  that  Maclntyre  kid 
to  come  back  this  way.  He  went  down  the 
track  a  bit  ago  on  a  hand-car,  playing  rescue 
a  princess  with  one  of  the  girls  at  the  picnic." 

The  section  boss  sprang  up  with  an  exclama- 
tion of  alarm.  "  How  far's  he  gone  ?  "  he  asked. 
"  There's  a  special  due  to  pass  here  in  a  few 
minutes." 


136  TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

Even  while  he  spoke  there  sounded  far  away 
in  the  distance,  so  far  that  it  was  like  only  a 
faint  echo,  the  whistle  of  an  approaching  loco- 
motive. The  man  hobbled  down  the  track  a 
yard  or  so  and  stopped.  "  What  do  you  sup- 
pose they'll  do  ? "  he  asked.  "  There  are  so  many 
bends  in  this  road,  the  train  may  come  right 
on  to  'em  before  the  engineer  sees  'em.  S'pose 
they'll  jump  off,  or  turn  and  try  to  come 
back  ?  " 

Jonesy  glanced  around  wildly  a  second,  and 
then  sprang  forward  toward  the  man. 

"  Give  me  the  switch-key  !  "  he  cried,  in  a  high 
voice,  shrill  with  excitement.  "  You  can't  run, 
but  I  can.  Give  me  the  switch-key !  "  Per- 
plexed by  the  sudden  turn  of  affairs  and  the 
little  fellow's  commanding  tone,  the  man  took 
the  key  from  his  pocket.  He  realised  his  own 
helplessness  to  do  anything,  and  there  was 
something  in  Jonesy's  manner  that  inspired  con- 
fidence. He  felt  that  the  child's  quick  wit  had 
grasped  the  situation  and  formed  some  sensible 
plan  of  action. 

Again  the  whistle  sounded  in  the  distance, 
and,  snatching  the  key,  Jonesy  was  off  down  the 
track  like  an  arrow.  The  section  boss,  leaning 


THE    LITTLE    COLONEL'S    TWO    RESCUES.        137 

heavily  on  his  cane,  limped  after  him  as  fast  as 
he  could. 

Keith  and  the  Little  Colonel,  having  gathered 
the  moss  and  started  back  home,  were  rolling 
leisurely  along,  still  talking  of  magicians  and 
their  ilk. 

"  What  if  we  should  meet  a  dragon  ?  "  cried 
the  Little  Colonel.  "A  dragon  with  a  scaly 
green  tail,  and  red  eyes  and  a  fiery  tongue. 
What  would  you  do  then  ?  " 

"  I'd  say,  '  What !  Ho  !  Thou  monster ! ' 
and  cleave  him  in  twain  with  my  good  broad- 
sword, and  when  he  saw  its  shining  blade  smite 
through  the  air  he'd  just  curl  up  and  die." 

Keith  looked  back  to  smile  at  the  bright 
laughing  face  beside  him.  Then  he  caught 
sight  of  something  over  his  shoulder  that  made 
him  pause.  "  Oh,  look  !  "  he  cried,  pointing  over 
the  tree-tops  behind  them.  A  little  puff  of 
smoke,  rising  up  in  the  distance,  trailed  along 
the  sky  like  a  long  banner.  At  the  same  in 
stant,  out  of  the  smoke,  sounded  the  whistle 
of  an  approaching  engine.  The  track  behind 
them  had  so  many  turns,  he  could  not  judge 
of  their  distance  from  it,  and  for  an  instant  he 
stopped  working  the  handle  bar  up  and  down, 


138     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

too  thoroughly  frightened  to  know  what  to  do. 
An  older  child  might  have  acted  differently ; 
might  have  jumped  from  the  hand-car  and  left 
it  to  be  run  into  by  the  approaching  train,  or 
have  hurried  back  around  the  bend  to  flag  the 
engine.  But  Keith  had  only  one  idea  left  :  that 
was  to  keep  ahead  of  the  train  as  long  as  possi- 
ble. It  seemed  so  far  away  he  thought  they 
could  surely  reach  the  depot  before  it  caught  up 
with  them,  and  his  sturdy  little  arms  bent  to  the 
task. 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  real  pleasure  in 
the  exertion.  He  felt  with  an  excited  thrill 
that  he  was  really  running  away  with  the  Little 
Colonel,  and  rescuing  her  from  a  pursuing  dan- 
ger. Suddenly  the  whistle  sounded  again,  and 
this  time  it  seemed  so  close  behind  them  that 
the  Little  Colonel  gave  a  terrified  glance  over 
her  shoulder  and  then  screamed  at  the  sight  of 
the  great  snorting  monster,  breathing  out  fire 
and  smoke,  worse  than  any  scaly-tailed  dragon 
that  she  had  ever  imagined.  It  was  far  down 
the  track  but  they  could  hear  its  terrible  rumble 
as  it  rushed  over  a  trestle,  and  the  singing  of 
the  wires  overhead. 

Keith  was  straining  every  muscle  now,  but  it 


THE    LITTLE    COLONEL'S    TWO    RESCUES.        139 

was  like  running  in  a  nightmare.  His  arms 
moved  up  and  down  at  a  furious  speed,  but  it 
seemed  to  him  that  the  hand-car  was  glued  to 
one  spot.  It  seemed,  too,  that  it  had  been 
hours  since  they  first  discovered  that  the  engine 
was  after  them,  and  he  felt  that  he  would 
soon  be  too  exhausted  to  move  another 
stroke.  Would  the  depot  never  never  come  in 
sight  ? 

Just  then  they  shot  around  the  curve  and 
caught  sight  of  Jonesy  at  the  depot  switch, 
wildly  beckoning  with  his  cap  and  shouting  for 
them  to  come  on.  At  that  sight,  with  one 
supreme  effort  Keith  put  his  fast-failing  strength 
to  the  test,  and  sent  the  hand-car  rolling  for- 
ward faster  than  ever.  It  shot  past  the  switch 
that  Jonesy  had  unlocked  and  off  to  the  side- 
track, just  as  the  train  bore  down  upon  them 
around  the  last  bend. 

There  was  barely  time  for  Jonesy  to  set  the 
switch  again  before  it  thundered  on  along 
the  main  track  past  the  little  depot.  Being  a 
special,  it  did  not  stop.  As  it  went  shrieking 
by,  the  engineer  cast  a  curious  glance  at  a  hand- 
car on  the  side-track.  A  little  girl  sat  on  it, 
a  pretty  golden-haired  child  with  dark  eyes  big 


I4O     TWO    LITTLE   KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

with  fright,  and  her  face  as  white  as  her  dress. 
He  wondered  what  was  the  matter. 

For  a  moment  after  the  shrieking  train 
(vhizzed  by  everything  seemed  deathly  still. 
Keith  sat  leaning  against  the  embankment, 
white  and  limp  from  exhaustion  and  the  excite- 
ment of  his  close  escape.  Jonesy  was  panting 
and  wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  red  face, 
for  he  had  run  like  a  deer  to  reach  the  switch 
in  time. 

"  I  couldn't  have  held  out  a  minute  longer," 
said  Keith,  presently.  "  My  arms  felt  like  they 
had  gone  to  sleep,  and  I  was  just  ready  to  give 
up  when  I  caught  sight  of  you.  That  seemed 
to  give  me  strength  to  go  on,  when  I  saw  what 
you  were  at  and  that  it  would  only  be  a  little 
farther  to  go  before  we  would  be  safe.  How 
did  you  happen  to  be  at  the  switch,  and  know 
how  to  set  it  ?  " 

"  Hain't  lived  all  my  life  around  engine  yards 
fer  nothin',"  answered  Jonesy.  "Why  didn't 
you  jump  off  and  flag  the  train  ?  " 

"  I  was  so  taken  by  surprise  I  didn't  think 
of  that,"  answered  Keith.  "The  only  thing  I 
knew  was  that  we  had  to  keep  ahead  of  it  as 
long  as  possible.  You've  saved  my  life,  Jones 


THE    LITTLE    COLONEL'S    TWO    RESCUES.        14! 

Carter,  and  I'll  never  forget  it,  no  matter  what 
comes." 

"I've  been  rescued  twice  to-day,"  said  the 
Little  Colonel,  taking  a  deep  breath  as  she 
began  to  recover  from  her  fright.  "Jonesy 
ought  to  be  a  knight,  too." 

"  That's  so  !  "  exclaimed  Keith,  springing  to 
his  feet.  "  Come  on  and  let's  go  back  to  the 
barn.  We'll  tell  our  adventures,  and  then 
we'll  go  through  the  ceremony  of  making  Jonesy 
a  Sir  Something  or  other.  He's  certainly  won 
his  spurs." 

"  Coin'  back  on  the  hand-car  ? "  asked  Jonesy. 

"  Not  much,"  answered  Keith,  with  a  sickly 
sort  of  smile.  "  Somehow  such  fast  travelling 
doesn't  seem  to  agree  with  a  fellow.  Walking 
is  good  enough  for  me." 

"  Me  too  !  "  cried  the  Little  Colonel,  tying  on 
her  white  sunbonnet.  "  But  the  first  part  of  it 
was  lovely,  — just  like  flyin'." 

Jonesy  ran  back  to  give  the  man  his  key,  and 
was  kept  answering  questions  so  long  that  he 
did  not  catch  up  with  the  other  children  until 
they  were  in  sight  of  the  barn. 

"  After  all,"  said  Keith,  as  the  three  trudged 
along  together,  "  maybe  we'd  better  not  tell 


142     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

how  near  we  came  to  being  run  over.  Grand- 
mother and  Aunt  Allison  would  be  dreadfully 
worried  if  they  should  hear  of  it.  They  are 
always  worrying  for  fear  something  will  happen 
to  us." 

"  Mothah  would  be  wild,"  exclaimed  the 
Little  Colonel,  "  if  she  knew  I  had  been  in  any 
dangah.  Maybe  she  wouldn't  let  me  out  of  her 
sight  again  to  play  all  summah." 

"  Then  let's  don't  tell  for  a  long,  long  time," 
proposed  Keith.  "  It'll  be  our  secret,  just  for 
us  three." 

"  All  right,"  the  others  agreed.  They  dropped 
the  subject  then,  for  the  barn  was  just  ahead 
of  them,  and  the  gay  picnickers  came  running 
out,  demanding  to  know  where  they  had  been 
so  long. 

The  Little  Colonel  often  spoke  of  her  expe- 
rience afterward  to  the  two  boys,  however,  and 
in  Keith's  day-dreams  a  home  for  Jonesy  began 
to  crowd  out  all  other  hopes  and  plans. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

A    GAME   OF    INDIAN. 

KEITH  was  stiff  for  a  week  after  his  race  on 
the  hand-car,  but  did  his  groaning  in  private. 
He  knew  what  a  commotion  would  be  raised  if 
the  matter  came  to  his  grandmother's  ears. 
She  had  lived  all  winter  in  constant  dread  of 
accidents.  Malcolm  had  been  carried  home 
twice  in  an  unconscious  state,  once  from  hav- 
ing been  thrown  from  his  bicycle,  and  once 
from  falling  through  a  trap-door  in  the  barn. 
Keith  had  broken  through  the  ice  on  the  pond, 
sprained  his  wrist  while  coasting,  and  walked 
in  half  a  dozen  times  with  the  blood  streaming 
from  some  wound  on  his  head  or  face. 

Virginia  had  never  been  hurt,  but  her  hair- 
breadth escapes  would  have  filled  a  volume. 
An  amusing  one  was  the  time  she  lassoed  a 
young  calf,  Indian  fashion,  to  show  the  boys 

'43 


144     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

how  it  should  be  done.  Its  angry  mother  was 
in  the  next  lot,  but  Virginia  felt  perfectly  safe 
as  she  swung  her  lariat  and  dragged  the  bleating 
calf  around  the  barn-yard.  She  did  not  stop  to 
consider  that  if  a  cow  with  lofty  ambitions  had 
once  jumped  over  the  moon,  one  which  saw  its 
calf  in  danger  might  easily  leap  a  low  hedge. 
Malcolm's  warning  shout  came  just  in  time  to 
save  her  from  being  gored  by  the  angry  animal, 
who  charged  at  her  with  lowered  horns.  She 
sprang  up  the  ladder  leading  to  the  corn-crib 
window,  where  she  was  safe,  but  she  had  to  hang 
there  until  Unc'  Henry  could  be  called  to  the 
rescue. 

It  was  with  many  misgivings  that  Mrs.  Mac- 
Intyre  and  Miss  Allison  started  to  the  city  one 
morning  in  April.  It  was  the  first  time  since 
the  children's  coming  that  they  had  both  gone 
away  at  once,  and  nothing  but  urgent  business 
would  have  made  them  consent  to  go. 

The  children  promised  at  least  a  dozen  things. 
They  would  keep  away  from  the  barn,  the  live 
stock,  the  railroad,  the  ponds,  and  the  cisterns. 
They  would  not  ride  their  wheels,  climb  trees, 
nor  go  off  the  Maclntyre  premises,  and  they 
would  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  snakes  and 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  147 

poison  ivy,  in  case  they  went  into  the  woods  for 
wild  flowers. 

"  Seems  to  me  there's  mighty  little  left  that  a 
fellow  can  do,"  said  Keith,  when  the  long  list 
was  completed. 

"Oh,  the  time  will  soon  pass,"  said  his  grand- 
mother, who  was  preparing  to  take  the  eleven 
o'clock  train.  "  It  will  soon  be  lunch-time. 
Then  this  is  the  day  for  you  each  to  write  your 
weekly  letters  to  your  mother,  and  it  is  so 
pretty  in  the  woods  now  that  I  am  sure  you 
will  enjoy  looking  for  violets." 

Time  did  pass  quickly,  as  their  grandmother 
had  said  it  would,  until  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon. Then  Virginia  began  to  wish  for  some- 
thing more  amusing  than  the  quiet  guessing 
games  they  had  been  playing  in  the  library. 
The  boys  each  picked  up  a  book,  and  she 
strolled  off  up-stairs,  in  search  of  a  livelier 
occupation. 

In  a  few  minutes  she  came  down,  looking  like 
a  second  Pocahontas  in  her  Indian  suit,  with  her 
bow  and  arrows  slung  over  her  shoulder. 

"  I  am  going  down  to  the  woods  to  practise 
shooting,"  she  announced,  as  she  stopped  to 
look  in  at  the  door. 


148     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Oh,  wait  just  a  minute !  "  begged  Mal- 
colm, throwing  down  his  book.  "  Let's  all  play 
Indian  this  afternoon.  We'll  rig  up,  too,  and 
build  a  wigwam  down  by  the  spring  rock,  and 
make  a  fire,  —  grandmother  didn't  say  we 
couldn't  make  a  fire  ;  that's  about  the  only 
thing  she  forgot  to  tell  us  not  to  do." 

••  You  can  come  on  when  you  get  ready," 
answered  Virginia.  "  I'm  going  now,  because 
it  is  getting  late,  but  you'll  find  me  near  the 
spring  when  you  come.  Just  yell." 

The  boys  could  not  hope  to  rival  Virginia's 
Indian  costume,  but  no  wilder-looking  little 
savages  ever  uttered  a  war-whoop  than  the  two 
which  presently  dashed  into  the  still  April 
woods. 

Malcolm  had  ripped  some  variegated  fringe 
from  a  table-cover  to  pin  down  the  sides  of  his 
leather  leggins.  He  had  borrowed  a  Roman 
blanket  from  Aunt  Allison's  couch  to  pin  around 
his  shoulders,  and  emptied  several  tubes  of  her 
most  expensive  paints  to  streak  his  face  with 
hideous  stripes  and  daubs.  A  row  of  feathers 
from  the  dust-brush  was  fastened  around  his 
forehead  by  a  broad  band,  and  a  hatchet  from 
the  woodshed  provided  him  with  a  tomahawk. 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  149 

Keith  had  no  time  to  arrange  feathers.  He 
had  taken  off  his  flannels  in  order  to  put  on  an 
old  striped  bathing-suit,  which  he  had  found 
in  the  attic  and  stored  away,  intending  to  use  it 
for  swinr.ning  in  the  pond  when  the  weather 
should  grow  warm  enough.  It  had  no  sleeves, 
and  the  short  trousers  had  shrunk  until  they 
did  not  half-way  reach  his  knees.  Its  red  and 
white  stripes  had  faded  and  the  colour  run  until 
the  whole  was  a  dingy  "  crushed  strawberry " 
shade.  As  Malcolm  had  emptied  all  the  tubes 
of  red  paint  in  his  Aunt  Allison's  box,  Keith 
had  to  content  himself  with  some  other  colour. 
He  chose  the  different  shades  of  green,  squeez- 
ing the  paint  out  on  his  plump  little  legs  and 
arms,  and  rubbing  it  around  with  his  fore  finger 
until  he  was  encircled  with  as  many  stripes  as  a 
zebra.  Although  the  day  was  warm  for  the 
early  part  of  April,  the  sudden  change  from  his 
customary  clothes  and  spring  flannels  to  noth- 
ing but  the  airy  bathing  suit  and  war-paint 
made  him  a  trifle  chilly ;  so  he  completed  his 
costume  by  putting  on  a  pair  of  scarlet  bed- 
room slippers,  edged  with  dark  fur. 

With  the  dropping  of  their  civilised  clothing, 
the  boys  seemed  to  have  dropped  all  recollec- 


I5O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

tions  of  their  professed  knighthood,  and  acted 
like  the  little  savages  they  looked. 

"  We're  going  to  shoot  with  your  things 
awhile,  Ginger,"  shouted  Keith,  coming  sud- 
denly upon  her  with  a  whoop,  and  snatching 
her  bow  out  of  her  hands.  "  You  are  the 
squaw,  so  you  have  to  do  all  the  work.  Get 
down  there  now  behind  that  rock  and  make  a 
fire,  while  we  go  out  and  kill  a  deer.  You 
must  build  a  wigwam,  too,  by  the  time  we  get 
back.  Hear  me  ?  I'm  a  big  chief !  '  I  am 
Famine — Buckadawin  ! '  and  I'll  make  a  living 
skeleton  of  you  if  you  don't  hustle." 

Virginia  was  furious.  "  I'll  not  be  a  squaw  !  " 
she  cried.  "  And  I'll  not  build  a  fire  or  do  any- 
thing else  if  you  talk  so  rudely.  If  you  don't 
give  me  back  my  bow  and  let  me  be  a  chief, 
too,  I'll  —  I'll  get  even  with  you,  sir,  in  a  way 
you  won't  like  I  have  short  hair,  and  my 
clothes  are  more  Indian  than  yours,  and  I  can 
shoot  better  than  either  of  you,  anyhow !  So 
there !  Give  me  my  bow." 

"What  will  you  do  if  I  won't  ?"  said  Keith, 
teasmgly,  holding  it  behind  him. 

"  I'll  go  up  to  the  barn  and  get  a  rope,  and 
lasso  you  like  I  did  that  calf,  and  drag  you  all 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN. 


over  the  place !  "  cried  Virginia,  her  eyes  shin- 
ing with  fierce  determination. 

"  She  means  it,  Keith,"  said  Malcolm.   «  She'll 
do  it  sure,  if  you  don't  stop  teasing.     Oh,  give 


it  to  her  and  come  along,  or  it  will    be   dark 
before  we  begin  to  play." 

Matters    went  on  more  smoothly  after  Mal- 
colm's efforts  at  peacemaking,  and  when  it  was 


152     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

decided  that  Ginger  could  be  a  brave,  too,  in- 
stead of  a  squaw,  they  were  soon  playing 
together  as  pleasantly  as  if  they  had  found  the 
happy  hunting  grounds.  The  short  afternoon 
waned  fast,  and  the  shadows  were  growing  deep 
when  they  reached  the  last  part  of  the  game. 
Ginger  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  they  were 
tying  her  to  a  tree,  with  her  hands  bound 
securely  behind  her  back.  She  rather  enjoyed 
this  part  of  it,  for  she  intended  to  show  them 
how  brave  she  could  be. 

"  Now  we'll  sit  around  the  council  fire  and 
decide  how  to  torture  her,"  said  Malcolm,  when 
the  captive  was  securely  tied.  But  the  fire  was 
out  and  they  had  no  matches.  The  lot  fell  on 
Malcolm  to  run  up  to  the  house  and  get  some. 

"  A  fire  would  feel  good,"  said  Keith,  looking 
around  with  a  shiver  as  he  seated  himself  on  a 
log  near  Ginger.  The  sun  was  low  in  the  west, 
and  very  little  of  its  light  and  warmth  found  its 
way  into  the  woods  where  the  children  were 
playing. 

"  It  makes  me  think  of  Hiawatha,"  said 
Ginger,  looking  down  at  several  long  streaks  of 
golden  light  which  lay  across  the  ground  at  her 
feet.  "  Don't  you  remember  how  it  goes  ? 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  153 

'And  the  long  and  level  sunbeams  shot  their 
spears  into  the  forest,  breaking  through  its 
shield  of  shadow.'  Isn't  that  pretty?  I  love 
Hiawatha.  I  am  going  to  learn  pages  and  pages 
of  it  some  day.  I  know  all  that  part  about 
Minnehaha  now." 

"  Say  it  while  we  are  waiting,"  said  Keith, 
pulling  his  short  trousers  down  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, and  wishing  that  he  had  sleeves,  or  else  that 
the  paint  were  thicker  on  his  chilly  arms. 

"  All  right,"  began  Virginia. 

"  •  Oh  the  long  and  dreary  winter  ! 
Oh  the  cold  and  cruel  winter ! 
Ever  thicker,  thicker,  thicker 
Froze  the  ice  on  lake  and  river.'  " 

"Ugh!  Don't!"  interrupted  Keith,  with  a 
shiver.  "  It  makes  my  teeth  chatter,  talking 
about  such  cold  things  !  " 

Just  then  a  shout  came  ringing  down  the  hill, 
"  Oh,  Keith  !  Come  here  a  minute  !  Quick  !  " 

"  What  do  you  wa-ant  ? "  yelled  Keith,  in 
return. 

"  Come  up  here  !  Quick  !  Hurry  up  !  " 

"  What  do  you  s'pose  can  be  the  matter  ? " 
exclaimed  Keith,  scrambling  to  his  feet. 
"  Maybe  the  bear  has  got  loose  and  run  away." 


154     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

"  Come  and  untie  me  first,"  said  Virginia, 
"  and  I'll  go,  too."  Keith  gave  several  quick  tugs 
at  the  many  knotted  string  which  bound  her, 
but  could  not  loosen  it.  Again  the  call  came, 
impatient  and  sharp,  "  Keith  !  Oh,  Keith !  " 

"Oh,  I  can't  loosen  it  a  bit,"  said  Keith. 
"  Vou'll  have  to  wait  till  Malcolm  comes  with 
his  knife.  We'll  be  back  in  just  a  minute.  I'll 
go  and  see  what's  the  matter." 

'Be  sure  that  you  don't  stay!"  screamed 
Ginger,  as  the  scarlet  bedroom  slippers  and 
green  striped  legs  flashed  out  of  sight  through 
the  bushes. 

'•  Back  —  in  —  a  —  minute !  "  sounded  shrilly 
rtm  ugh  the  woods. 

Keith  found  Malcolm  on  the  back  porch, 
pourding  excitedly  on  a  box  which  the  express- 
man had  left  there  a  few  minutes  before. 

''•  It's  the  camera  we  have  been  looking  for 
aJi  week,"  he  cried.  "  Come  on  and  have  a  look 
at  it.  ' 

'  Ginger  said  to  hurry  back,"  said  Keith. 

"Pshaw!  It  won't  take  but  a  minute.  I'll 
prv  the  box  open  in  a  jiffy." 

It  was  harder  work  than  the  boys  had  sup- 
posed, to  take  the  tightly  nailed  lid  from  its 


A   GAME   OF    INDIAN.  155 

place,  and  they  were  so  intent  on  their  work 
they  did  not  realise  how  quickly  the  minutes 
were  passing. 

"  Isn't  it  a  beauty  ? "  exclaimed  Malcolm, 
when  it  was  at  last  unpacked.  "  It's  lots  bigger 
and  finer  than  the  one  papa  promised.  But 
that's  the  way  he  always  does.  Oh,  isn't  it  a 
peach ! " 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,"  said  Keith,  dancing  up 
and  down  in  his  excitement,  until  he  looked  like 
a  ridiculous  little  clown  in  the  faded  pink  bath- 
ing-suit and  his  stripes  of  green  paint,  "let's 
take  each  other's  pictures  while  we  are  dressed 
this  way.  We  may  never  look  so  funny  again, 
and  we  can  go  down  and  take  Ginger,  too,  while 
she  is  tied  to  the  tree." 

"  Can't  now,"  said  Malcolm,  "  it's  too  dark 
down  there  in  the  woods  by  this  time.  See ! 
there  is  nothing  left  now  of  the  sun  but  those 
red  clouds  above  the  place  where  it  went  down. 
I'm  afraid  it  is  too  dark  even  for  us  up  here  on 
the  hill ;  but  we  can  try.  You  do  look  funny, 
just  like  a  jumping-jack  or  a  monkey  on  a 
stick." 

"  Surely  Ginger  won't  mind  waiting  long 
enough  for  us  to  do  it,"  said  Keith.  "  Any- 


156     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

how  we  can  never  dress  up  this  way  again,  and 
grandmother  will  be  coming  home  very  soon,  so 
you  take  mine  quick,  and  I  will  take  yours." 

The  boys  had  had  some  practice  before  with 
a  cheap  little  camera,  but  this  required  some 
.studying  of  the  printed  directions  before  they 
could  use  it.  The  first  time  they  tried  it  the 
plates  were  put  in  wrong,  and  the  second  time 
they  forgot  to  remove  the  cap.  There  were 
other  things  in  the  box  besides  the  camera : 
some  beautiful  pink  curlew's  wings,  a  hand- 
somely marked  snake  skin,  and  some  rare  shells 
that  had  been  picked  up  on  the  Gulf  coast.  Of 
course  the  boys  had  to  examine  each  new  treas- 
ure as  it  was  discovered.  One  thing  after 
another  delayed  them  until  it  was  dusk  even 
on  the  porch  where  they  stood,  and  in  the 
woods  below  a  deep  twilight  had  fallen. 

Every  minute  that  had  sped  by  so  rapidly  for 
ihe  boys,  seemed  an  age  to  the  captive  Virginia. 
Her  arms  ached  from  the  strain  of  their  un- 
usual position.  Swarms  of  gnats  flew  about, 
stinging  her  face,  and  mosquitoes  buzzed  teas- 
ingly  around  her  ears.  She  was  unable  to 
move  a  finger  to  drive  them  away. 

When  the  boys  had  been  gone  fifteen  min- 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  157 

utes  she  thought  they  must  have  been  away 
hours.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  she  was 
wild  with  impatience  to  get  loose,  but,  thinking 
they  might  return  any  minute,  she  made  no 
sign  of  her  discomfort.  She  would  be  as 
heroic  as  the  bravest  brave  ever  tortured  by 
cruel  savages.  As  long  as  it  was  light  she 
kept  up  her  courage,  but  presently  it  began 
to  grow  dark  under  the  great  beech-trees.  A 
frog  down  by  the  spring  set  up  a  dismal  croak- 
ing. What  if  they  should  not  come  back,  and 
her  grandmother  and  Aunt  Allison  should  miss 
the  train,  and  have  to  stay  in  the  city  all  night ! 
Then  nobody  would  come  to  set  her  free,  and 
she  would  have  to  stay  in  the  lonely  woods  all 
by  herself,  tied  to  a  tree,  with  her  hands  behind 
her  back. 

At  that  thought  she  began  calling,  "  Keith ! 
Keith  !  Malcolm  !  Oh,  Malcolm  !  "  but  only  an 
echo  came  back  to  her,  as  it  had  to  the  dying 
Minnehaha,  —  a  far-away  echo  that  mocked  her 
with  its  teasing  cry  of  "  Mal-colm  !  "  Call  after 
call  went  ringing  through  the  woods,  but  nobody 
answered.  Nobody  came. 

There  was  a  rustling  through  the  leaves  be- 
hind her,  as  of  a  snake  gliding  around  the  tree. 


158     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OP    KENTUCKY. 


She  was  not  afraid  of  snakes  in  the  daytime, 
and  when  she  was  unbound,  but  she  shrieked 
and  turned  cold  at  the  thought  of  one  wriggling 
across  her  feet  while  she  was  powerless  to  get 

away.  Every  time  a 
twig  snapped,  or  there 
was  a  fluttering  in  the 
bushes,  she  strained 
her  eyes  to  see  what 
horrible  thing  might 
be  creeping  up  to- 
ward her.  She  had 
no  thought  that  live 
Indians  might  be 
lurking  about,  but  all 
the  terrible  stories 
she  had  ever  heard, 
of  the  days  of  Daniel 
Boone  and  the  early 
settlers,  came  back 
to  haunt  the  woods 
with  a  nameless  dread. 
She  felt  that  she  was  standing  on  the  real 
Kentucky  that  the  Indians  meant,  when  they 
gave  the  State  its  name.  "Dark  and  bloody 
ground!  Dark  and  bloody  ground!"  some- 


A  GAME  OF  INDIAN.  159 

thing  seemed  to  say  just  behind  her.  Then 
the  trees  took  it  up,  and  all  the  leaves  whis- 
pered, "  S/i  —  s/z,  sk  !  Dark  and  bloody  ground! 
Sh  —  sh!" 

At  that  she  was  so  frightened  that  she  began 
calling  again,  but  the  sound  of  her  own  roice 
startled  her.  "  Oh,  they  are  not  coming,"  she 
thought,  with  a  miserable  ache  in  her  throat, 
that  seemed  swelling  bigger  and  bigger.  "  I'll 
have  to  stay  here  in  the  woods  all  night.  Oh, 
mamma !  mamma  ! "  she  moaned,  "  I  am  so 
scared !  If  you  could  only  come  back  and  get 
your  poor  little  girl !  " 

Up  to  this  time  she  had  bravely  fought  back 
the  tears,  but  just  then  a  screech-owl  flapped 
down  from  a  branch  above  her  with  such  a  dis- 
mal hooting  that  she  gave  a  nervous  start  and  a 
cry  of  terror.  "  Oh,  that  frightened  me  so  !  " 
she  sobbed.  "  I  don't  believe  I  can  stand  it  to 
be  out  here  all  night  alone  with  so  many  hor- 
rible creepy  things  everywhere.  And  nobody 
cares  !  Nobody  but  papa  and  mamma,  and  they 
are  away,  way  off  in  Cuba.  Maybe  I'll  never 
see  them  any  more."  At  that  the  tears  rolled 
down  her  face,  and  she  could  not  move  a  hand 
to  wipe  them  away.  To  be  so  little  and  miser- 


l6O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

able  and  forsaken,  so  worn  out  with  waiting  and 
so  helpless  among  all  these  unknown  horrors 
that  the  dark  woods  might  hold,  was  worse  tor- 
ture to  the  imaginative  child  than  any  bodily 
pain  could  have  been. 

It  was  just  as  her  last  bit  of  courage  oozed 
away,  and  she  began  to  cry,  that  the  boys  sud- 
denly realised  how  long  they  had  left  her. 

"  It  must  be  as  dark  as  a  pocket  in  the  woods 
by  this  time,"  exclaimed  Malcolm.  "  What  do 
you  suppose  Ginger  will  say  to  us  for  leaving 
her  so  long  ?  " 

"You  will  have  to  take  a  knife  to  cut  her 
loose,"  said  Keith.  "  I  tried  to  untie  the  knots 
before  I  came  away,  but  I  couldn't  move  them." 

"My  pocket-knife  is  up-stairs,"  answered 
Malcolm.  "  I'll  get  something  in  the  dining- 
r<3om  that  will  do." 

He  was  rushing  out  again  with  a  carving-knife 
in  his  hand,  when  he  came  face  to  face  with  his 
grandmother  and  Aunt  Allison.  The  boys  had 
been  so  interested  in  their  camera  that  they  had 
not  heard  the  train  whistle,  or  the  sound  of 
footsteps  coming  up  on  the  front  veranda. 
Pete  was  lighting  the  hall  lamps  as  the  ladies 
came  in,  and  he  turned  his  back  to  hide  the  broad 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  l6l 

grin  on  his  face,  as  he  thought  of  the  sight 
which  would  soon  greet  them.  Mrs.  Maclntyre 
gave  a  gasp  of  astonishment  and  sank  down  in 
the  nearest  chair  as  Malcolm  came  dashing 
into  the  bright  lamplight. 

His  turkey  feathers  were  all  awry,  standing 
out  in  a  dozen  different  directions  from  his 
head,  his  blanket  trailed  behind  him,  and  the 
fringe  was  hanging  in  festoons  from  his  leggins, 
where  it  had  come  unpinned.  The  red  paint 
on  his  face  made  him  look  as  if  he  had  been  in 
a  fight  with  the  carving-knife  he  carried,  and 
had  had  the  skin  peeled  off  his  face  in  patches. 

Wild  as  he  looked,  his  appearance  was  tame 
beside  that  of  the  impish-looking  little  savage 
who  skipped  in  after  him,  in  the  scarlet  bedroom 
slippers,  pink  striped  bathing-suit  and  green 
striped  skin. 

"  Keith  Maclntyre,  what  have  you  been  doing 
to  yourself  ?  "  gasped  his  grandmother.  Both 
boys  began  an  excited  exclamation,  but  were 
stopped  by  Miss  Allison's  question,  "Where 
is  Virginia  ?  Have  you  two  little  savages 
scalped  her  ? " 

"  She's  tied  to  a  tree  down  by  the  spring," 
answered  Malcolm.  "We  are  just  starting 


1 62     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OP    KENTUCKY. 

down  there  now  to  cut  her  loose.  You  see  we 
were  playing  Indian,  and  she  was  tied  up  to  be 
tortured,  and  we  forgot  all  about  her  being 
there  —  " 

But  Miss  Allison  waited  to  hear  no  more. 
"The  poor  little  thing  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "Tied 
out  there  alone  in  the  dark  woods !  How  could 
you  be  so  cruel  ?  It  is  enough  to  frighten  her 
into  spasms." 

"  I'm  awfully  sorry,  Aunt  Allison  !  "  began 
Malcolm,  but  his  aunt  was  already  out  of  hear- 
ing. Out  of  the  door  she  ran,  through  the 
dewy  grass  and  the  stubble  of  the  field  beyond, 
regardless  of  her  dainty  spring  gown,  or  her 
new  patent  leather  shoes.  Malcolm  and  Keith 
dashed  out  after  her,  ran  on  ahead  and  were  at 
the  spring  before  she  had  climbed  the  fence  into 
the  woodland. 

Virginia  was  not  crying  when  the  boys 
reached  her.  She  remembered  that  she  had 
once  called  Malcolm  "  Rain-in-the-face  "  because 
she  caught  him  crying  over  something  that 
seemed  to  her  a  very  little  reason,  and  she  did 
not  intend  to  give  him  a  chance  to  taunt  her  in 
the  same  way.  She  was  glad  that  it  was  too 
dark  for  him  to  notice  her  tear-swollen  eyes. 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  163 

"Whew!  It's  dark  down  here!  "  said  Keith. 
"  Were  you  frightened,  Ginger  ?  "  he  asked,  as 
he  helped  Malcolm  unfasten  the  cords  that 
bound  her.  But  Ginger  made  no  reply  to  either 
questions  or  apologies.  She  walked  on  in  dig- 
nified silence,  too  deeply  hurt  by  their  neglect, 
too  full  of  a  sense  of  the  wrong  they  had  done 
her,  to  trust  herself  to  speak  without  crying, 
and  she  intended  to  be  game  to  the  last.  But 
when  she  came  upon  Miss  Allison,  and  sud- 
denly found  herself  folded  safe  in  her  arms, 
with  pitying  kisses  and  comforting  caresses,  she 
clung  to  her,  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would 
break. 

"  Oh,  auntie  !  It  was  so  awful !  "  was  all  she 
could  say,  but  she  repeated  it  again  and  again, 
until  Miss  Allison,  who  had  never  seen  her  so 
excited  before,  was  alarmed.  The  boys,  who 
had  run  on  ahead  to  the  house  again,  before  she 
gave  way  to  her  feelings,  were  inclined  to  look 
upon  it  all  as  a  good  joke,  for  they  had  no 
idea  how  much  she  had  suffered,  and  did  not 
like  it  because  she  would  not  speak  to  them. 
They  changed  their  minds  when  Miss  Allison 
came  out  of  Virginia's  room  a  little  later,  and 
told  them  that  the  fright  had  given  the  child 


It>4     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

a  nervous  chill,  and  that  she  had  cried  herself 
to  sleep. 

"  We  didn't  mean  to  do  it,"  said  Keith,  peni- 
tently. "We  just  forgot,  and  I'm  mighty 
sorry,  truly  I  am,  auntie !  " 

"  I  am  not  scolding  you,"  said  Miss  Allison, 
"but  if  I  were  either  of  you  boys,  I  wouldn't 
wear  my  little  white  flower  when  I  dressed  for 
dinner  to-night.  Instead  of  being  the  protector 
of  a  distressed  maiden,  as  the  old  knights  would 
have  said,  you  have  done  her  a  wrong,  —  a  serious 
one  I  am  afraid,  —  and  that  wrong  ought  to 
be  made  right  as  far  as  possible  before  you 
are  worthy  to  wear  the  badge  of  knighthood 
again." 

"We'll  go  and  beg  her  pardon  right  now," 
said  Malcolm. 

"  No,  she  is  asleep  now,  and  I  do  not  want 
her  to  be  disturbed.  Besides,  a  mere  apology 
is  not  enough.  You  must  make  some  kind  of 
atonement.  The  first  thing  for  you  to  do,  how- 
ever, is  to  get  some  turpentine  and  remove  that 
paint.  Where  did  you  get  it,  boys  ? " 

"Out  of  your  paint-box,  Aunt  Allison,"  said 
Malcolm.  "We  didn't  think  you  would  care. 
I  was  only  going  to  take  a  little,  but  it 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  1 65 

soaked  in  so  fast  that  I  had  to  use  two  tubes 
of  it." 

"  I  used  more  than  that,"  confessed  Keith, 
looking  at  her  with  his  big  honest  eyes ;  "  but 
I  got  so  interested  pretending  that  I  was  turning 
into  a  real  Indian,  that  I  never  thought  about 
its  being  anybody  else's  paint,  Aunt  Allison, 
truly  I  didn't !  " 

She  turned  away  to  hide  a  smile.  The 
earnest  little  face  above  the  striped  body  was 
so  very  comical.  Picking  up  several  of  the 
empty  tubes  that  had  been  squeezed  quite  flat, 
she  read  the  labels.  "  Rose  madder  and  car- 
mine," she  said,  solemnly,  "two  of  my  very 
most  expensive  paints." 

"  Dear  me !  "  sighed  Malcolm,  "  then  there's 
another  wrong  that's  got  to  be  righted.  I  guess 
Keith  and  I  weren't  cut  out  for  knights.  I'm 
beginning  to  think  that  it's  a  mighty  tough 
business  anyhow." 

That  night,  when  the  boys  came  down  to 
dinner,  no  little  white  flower  with  its  diamond 
dewdrop  centre  shone  on  the  lapel  of  either 
coat.  It  had  been  a  work  of  time  to  scrub  off 
the  paint,  and  then  it  took  almost  as  long  to 
get  rid  of  the  turpentine,  so  that  dinner  was 


1 66     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

ready  long  before  Keith  was  finally  clad  in  his 
flannels.  "  My  throat  is  sore,"  he  complained 
to  Malcolm  at  bedtime,  but  did  not  mention  it 
to  any  one  else  that  night.  He  sat  on  the  side 
of  his  bed  a  moment  before  undressing,  with  one 
foot  across  his  knee,  staring  thoughtfully  at  the 
lamp.  Presently,  with  one  shoe  in  his  hand 
and  the  other  half  unlaced,  he  hopped  over  to 
the  dressing-table  and  stood  before  it,  looking 
at  first  one  picture  and  then  another. 

Eight  different  photographs  of  his  mother 
were  ranged  along  the  table  below  the  wide 
mirror,  some  taken  in  evening  dress,  some  in 
simple  street  costume,  and  each  one  so  beauti- 
ful that  it  would  have  been  hard  to  decide 
which  one  had  the  greatest  charm. 

"  I  wish  mamma  was  here  to-night,"  said 
Keith,  softly,  with  a  little  quiver  of  his 
lip.  "  Seems  like  she's  been  gone  almost 
always." 

He  picked  up  a  large  Roman  locket  of  beaten 
silver  that  lay  open  on  the  table.  It  held  two 
exquisitely  painted  miniatures  on  ivory.  One 
was  the  same  sweet  face  that  looked  out  at  him 
from  each  of  the  photographs,  the  other  was 
his  father's.  It  showed  a  handsome  young 


A    GAME    OF    INDIAN.  1 6? 

fellow  with  strong,  clean-shaven  face,  with  eyes 
like  Keith's,  and  the  same  lordly  poise  of  the 
fine  head  that  Malcolm  had. 

"Good  night,  papa,  good  night,  mamma!" 
whispered  Keith,  touching  his  lips  hastily  to 
each  picture  while  Malcolm's  back  was  turned. 
There  were  tears  in  his  eyes.  Somehow  he  was 
so  miserably  homesick. 

Next  morning,  although  Keith's  throat  was 
not  so  sore,  he  was  burning  with  fever  by  the 
time  his  lessons  were  over.  Before  his  grand- 
mother saw  him  he  was  off  on  his  wheel  for  a 
long  ride,  and  then,  because  he  was  so  hot  when 
he  came  back,  he  slipped  away  to  the  pond  with 
the  pink  bathing-suit  under  his  coat,  and  took 
the  swim  that  he  had  been  looking  forward  to 
so  long.  Nobody  knew  where  he  was,  and  he 
stayed  in  the  water  until  his  lips  and  finger- 
nails were  blue.  The  morning  after  that  he 
was  too  ill  to  get  up,  and  Mrs.  Maclntyre  sent 
for  a  doctor. 

"  He  has  always  been  so  perfectly  well,  and 
seemed  to  have  such  a  strong  constitution,  that 
I  cannot  allow  myself  to  believe  this  will  be 
anything  serious,"  said  Mrs.  Maclntyre,  but  at 
the  end  of  the  third  day  he  was  so  much  worse 


1 68     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

that  she  sent  to  the  city  for  a  trained  nurse, 
and  telegraphed  for  his  father  and  mother. 

They  had  already  left  Florida,  and  were 
yachting  up  the  Atlantic  coast  on  their  way 
home  when  the  message  reached  them. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

"FAIRCHANCE." 

MALCOLM  did  his  best  to  atone  to  Virginia 
for  what  she  had  suffered  from  the  forgetful- 
ness  of  the  two  little  Indians,  but  poor  Keith 
was  too  ill  to  remember  anything  about  it.  He 
did  not  know  his  father  and  mother  when  they 
came,  and  tossed  restlessly  about,  talking  wildly 
of  things  they  could  not  understand.  It  was 
the  first  time  he  had  ever  been  so  ill,  and  as 
they  watched  him  lying  there  day  after  day, 
burning  with  fever,  and  growing  white  and  thin, 
a  great  fear  came  upon  them  that  he  would 
never  be  any  better. 

No  one  put  that  fear  into  words,  but  little 
by  little  it  crept  from  heart  to  heart  like  a 
wintry  fog,  until  the  whole  house  felt  its  chill. 
The  sweet  spring  sounds  and  odours  came  rush- 
ing in  at  every  window  from  the  sunny  world 
outside,  but  it  might  as  well  have  been  mid- 
169 


I/O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

winter.  No  one  paid  any  heed  while  that  little 
life  hung  in  the  balance.  The  servants  went 
through  the  house  on  tiptoe.  Malcolm  and 
Virginia  haunted  the  halls  to  discover  from  the 
grave  faces  of  the  older  people  what  they  were 
afraid  to  ask,  and  Mrs.  Maclntyre  was  kept 
busy  answering  the  inquiries  of  the  neighbours. 
Scarcely  an  hour  passed  that  some  one  did  not 
come  to  ask  about  Keith,  to  leave  flowers,  or 
to  proffer  kindly  services.  Everybody  who  knew 
the  little  fellow  loved  him.  His  bright  smile 
and  winning  manner  had  made  him  a  host  of 
friends. 

There  was  no  lack  of  attention.  His  father 
and  mother,  Miss  Allison,  and  the  nurse  watched 
every  breath,  every  pulse-beat ;  and  a  dozen 
times  in  the  night  his  grandmother  stole  to  the 
door  to  look  anxiously  at  the  wan  little  face  on 
the  pillow. 

"  It  is  so  strange,"  said  his  mother  to  the 
nurse  one  day.  "  He  keeps  talking  about  a 
white  flower.  He  says  that  he  can't  right  the 
wrong  unless  he  wears  it,  and  that  Jonesy  will 
have  to  be  shut  up  and  never  find  his  brother 
again.  What  do  you  suppose  he  means?  " 

The  nurse  shook  her  head.    She  did  not  know. 


"FAIRCHANCE."  1/1 

Just  then  Mrs.  Maclntyre  heard  her  name 
called  softly,  "  Elise,"  and  her  husband  beck- 
oned her  to  come  out  into  the  hall.  "  I  want 
to  show  you  something  in  Allison's  room,"  he 
said,  leading  her  down  the  hall  to  his  sister's 
apartment.  On  each  side  of  the  low  writing- 
desk  stood  a  large  photograph,  one  of  Malcolm 
in  his  suit  of  mail,  the  other  of  Keith  in  the 
costume  of  jewel-embroidered  velvet,  like  the 
little  Duke  of  Gloster's. 

"  Oh,  Sydney !  How  beautiful !  "  she  ex- 
claimed, as  she  swept  across  the  room  and 
knelt  down  before  the  desk  for  a  better  view. 
Leaning  her  arms  on  the  desk,  she  looked  into 
Keith's  pictured  face  with  hungry  eyes.  "  Isn't 
he  lovely  ? "  she  repeated.  ,  "  Oh,  he'll  never 
look  like  that  again  !  I  know  it  !  I  know  it !  " 
she  sobbed,  remembering  how  white  was  the 
little  face  on  the  pillow  that  she  had  just  left. 

Mr.  Maclntyre  bent  over  her,  his  own  hand- 
some face  white  and  haggard.  He  looked  ill 
himself,  from  the  constant  watching  and  anxiety. 
"  I'd  give  anything  in  the  world  that  I  own  ! 
Everything  !  "  he  groaned.  "  I'd  do  anything, 
sacrifice  anything,  to  see  him  as  well  and  sturdy 
as  he  looks  there  !  " 


1/2     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

Then  he  caught  up  the  picture.  "  What's 
this  written  underneath  ?  "  he  asked,  "  It  is  in 
Keith's  own  handwriting :  '  Live  pure,  speak 


tmtk,  right  the  wrong,  follow  the  king.     Else 
wherefore  born  ? ' 

"  What  does   it  mean,  Allison  ? "    he  asked, 


"  FAIRCHANCE.  1/3 

turning  to  his  sister,  who  was  resting  on  a 
couch  by  the  window.  "  It  is  written  under 
Malcolm's  picture,  too." 

"The  dear  little  Sir  Galahads,"  she  said, 
"  I  sent  for  you  to  tell  you  about  them.  The 
boys  intended  the  pictures  as  a  surprise  for  you 
and  Elise,  so  we  never  sent  them.  They 
wanted  to  tell  you  themselves  about  the  Benefit 
and  the  little  waif  they  gave  it  for." 

She  took  a  little  pin  from  a  jewel-case  under 
the  sofa  pillows,  and  reaching  over,  dropped  it 
in  her  brother's  hand.  It  was  a  tiny  flower  of 
white  enamel,  with  a  diamond  dewdrop  in  the 
centre. 

"You  may  have  noticed  Malcolm  wearing 
one  like  it,"  she  said,  and  then  she  told  them 
the  story  of  Jonesy  and  the  bear  and  all  that 
their  coming  had  led  to  :  the  Benefit,  the  new 
order  of  knighthood,  and  the  awakening  of  the 
boys  to  a  noble  purpose. 

"  The  boys  fully  expect  you  to  stand  by  them 
in  all  this,  Sydney,"  she  said,  in  conclusion, 
"  and  play  fairy  godfather  for  Jonesy  henceforth 
and  for  ever.  One  night,  when  Keith  came  up 
to  confess  some  mischief  he  had  been  into 
during  the  day,  he  said  : 


1/4  Two  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

" '  Aunt  Allison,  this  wearing  the  white 
flower  of  a  blameless  life  isn't  as  easy  as  it 
is  cracked  up  to  be ;  but  having  this  little 
pin  helps  a  lot.  I  just  put  my  hand  on  that 
like  the  real  knights  used  to  do  on  their  sword- 
hilts,  and  repeat  my  motto.  It  will  be  easier 
when  papa  comes  home.  Since  I've  known 
Jonesy,  and  heard  him  tell  about  the  hard  times 
some  people  have  that  he  knows,  it  seems  to 
me  there's  an  awful  lot  of  wrong  in  the  world 
for  somebody  to  set  right.  Some  nights  I  can 
hardly  go  to  sleep  for  thinking  about  it,  and 
wishing  that  I  were  grown  up  so  that  I  could 
begin  to  do  my  part.  I  wish  papa  could  be 
here  now.  He'd  make  a  splendid  knight ;  he 
is  so  big  and  good  and  handsome.  I  don't 
s'pose  King  Arthur  himself  was  any  better  or 
braver  than  my  father  is.' ' 

A  tear  splashed  down  from  the  mother's  eyes 
as  she  listened,  and,  falling  on  the  tiny  white 
flower  as  it  lay  in  her  husband's  hand,  glistened 
beside  the  dewdrop  centre  like  another  diamond. 

"  Oh,  Sydney !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  a  heart- 
broken way.  Something  very  like  a  sob  shook 
the  man's  broad  shoulders,  and,  turning  abruptly, 
he  strode  out  of  the  room. 


"  FAIRCHANCE."  1/5 

Down  in  the  dim,  green  library,  where  the 
blinds  had  been  drawn  to  keep  it  cool,  he  threw 
himself  into  a  chair  beside  the  table.  Prop- 
ping Keith's  picture  up  in  front  of  him  against 
a  pile  of  books,  he  leaned  forward,  gazing  at 
it  earnestly.  He  had  never  realised  before 
how  much  he  loved  the  little  son,  who  hour 
by  hour  seemed  slowly  slipping  farther  away 
from  him.  The  pictured  face  looked  full  into 
his  as  if  it  would  speak.  It  wore  the  same 
sweet,  trustful  expression  that  had  shone  there 
the  night  he  talked  to  Jonesy  of  the  Hall  of 
the  Shields  ;  the  same  childish  purity  that  had 
moved  the  old  professor  to  lay  his  hands  upon 
his  head  and  call  him  Galahad. 

All  that  gentle  birth,  college  breeding,  wealth, 
and  travel  could  give  a  man,  were  Sydney 
Maclntyre's,  and  yet,  measuring  himself  by 
Keith's  standard  of  knighthood,  he  felt  him- 
self sadly  lacking.  He  had  given  liberally  to 
charities  hundreds  of  dollars,  because  it  was 
often  easier  for  him  to  write  out  a  check  than 
to  listen  to  somebody's  tale  of  suffering.  But 
aside  from  that  he  had  left  the  old  world  to 
wag  on  as  best  it  could,  with  its  grievous  load 
of  wrong  and  sorrow. 


TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

A  man  is  not  apt  to  trouble  himself  as  to 
how  it  wags  for  those  outside  his  circle  of 
friends,  when  the  generations  before  him  have 
spent  their  time  laying  up  a  fortune  for  him 
to  enjoy.  But  this  man  was  beginning  to 
trouble  himself  about  it  now,  as  he  paced  rest- 
lessly up  and  down  the  room.  He  was  not 
thinking  now  about  the  things  that  usually 
occupied  him,  his  social  duties,  his  home  or 
club,  or  yacht  or  horses  or  kennels.  He  was 
not  planning  some  new  pleasure  for  his  friends 
or  family,  he  was  wondering  what  he  could  do 
to  be  worthy  of  the  exalted  regard  in  which  he 
was  held  by  his  little  sons.  What  wrong  could 
he  set  right,  to  prove  himself  really  as  noble  as 
they  thought  him  ?  He  was  their  ideal  of  all 
that  was  generous  and  manly,  and  yet  — 

"What  have  I  ever  done,"  he  asked  himself, 
"to  make  them  think  so?  If  I  were  to  be 
taken  out  of  the  world  to-morrow,  I  would 
be  leaving  it  exactly  as  I  found  it.  Who  could 
point  to  my  coffin  and  say,  '  Laws  are  better, 
politics  are  purer,  or  times  are  not  so  hard  for 
the  masses  now,  because  this  one  man  willed  to 
lift  up  his  fellows  as  far  as  the  might  of  one 
strong  life  can  reach  ? '  But  they  will  say  that 


"FAIRCHANCE."  177 

of  Malcolm,  and  Keith,  if  he  lives  —  ah,  if  he 
lives !  " 

An  hour  later  the  door  opened,  and  Malcolm 
came  in,  softly.  "  Keith  is  asking  for  you, 
papa,"  he  said,  with  a  timid  glance  into  his 
father's  haggard  face.  Then  he  came  nearer, 
and  slipped  his  hand  into  the  man's  strong 
fingers,  and  together  they  went  up  the  stairs 
to  answer  the  summons. 

"  Did  you  want  me,  Keith  ?  " 

The  head  did  not  turn  on  the  pillow.  The 
languid  eyes  opened  only  half-way,  but  there 
was  recognition  in  them  now,  and  one  little 
hand  was  raised  to  lay  itself  lovingly  against 
his  father's  cheek. 

"  What  is  it,  son  ?  " 

The  weak  little  voice  tried  to  answer,  but  the 
words  came  only  in  gasps.  "  Brother  knows  — 
about  Jonesy  —  keep  him  from  being  a  tramp  ! 
Please  let  me,  papa  —  do  that  much  good  — 
in  my  life  "  else  wherefore  —  born  ? ' ' 

"  What  is  it,  Keith  ? "  asked  his  father,  bend- 
ing over  him.  "  Papa  doesn't  exactly  under- 
stand. But  you  can  have  anything  you  want, 
my  boy.  Anything !  I'll  do  whatever  you 
ask." 


1/8  TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

"  Malcolm  knows,"  was  the  answer.  Then 
the  voice  seemed  somewhat  stronger  for  an 
instant,  and  a  faint  smile  touched  Keith's  lips. 
"  Give  my  half  of  the  bear  to  Ginger.  Now  — 
may  I  have  —  my  —  white  —  flower  ?  " 

Throwing  back  his  coat,  his  father  unpinned 
the  little  badge  from  his  vest,  where  he  had 
fastened  it  for  safe-keeping  a  short  time  before 
in  the  library.  A  pleased  expression  flitted 
over  the  child's  face,  as  he  saw  where  it  had 
been  resting,  and  when  it  was  fastened  in  the 
front  of  his  little  embroidered  nightshirt,  his 
hand  closed  over  the  pin  as  if  it  were  something 
very  precious,  and  he  were  afraid  of  losing  it 
again. 

"Wearing  the  white  flower,"  they  heard  him 
whisper,  and  then  the  little  knight  slept. 

It  was  hours  afterward  when  he  roused  again, 
—  hours  when  the  faintest  noise  had  not  been 
allowed  in  the  house ;  when  the  servants  had 
been  sent  to  the  cottage,  and  Unc'  Henry  sta- 
tioned at  the  front  gate,  that  no  one  might  drive 
up  the  avenue. 

Virginia,  in  a  hammock  on  the  veranda, 
scarcely  dared  draw  a  deep  breath  till  she 


"  FAIRCHANCE." 

heard  the  doctor  coming  down  the  stairs,  just 
before  dark.  Then  she  knew  by  his  face  that 
prayers  and  skill  and  tender  nursing  had  not 
been  in  vain,  and  that  Keith  would  live. 

So  much  can  happen  in  a  week.  In  the 
seven  days  that  followed  Keith  gradually  grew 
strong  enough  to  be  propped  up  in  bed  a  little 
while  at  a  time ;  Captain  Dudley  and  his  wife 
came  home  from  Cuba,  and  Mr.  Maclntyre 
began  to  carry  out  the  promise  he  had  made 
to  Keith  that  day  when  they  feared  most  he 
could  not  live. 

The  whole  Valley  rejoiced  in  the  first  and 
second  happenings,  and  were  too  much  occu- 
pied in  them  to  notice  the  third.  Carriages 
rolled  in  and  out  of  the  great  entrance  gate 
all  day  long,  for  Mrs.  Dudley  had  always  been 
a  favourite  with  the  old  neighbours,  and  they 
gave  a  warm  welcome  to  her  and  her  gallant 
husband.  Virginia  followed  her  father  and 
mother  about  like  a  loving  shadow,  and  Keith 
was  so  interested  in  the  wonderful  stories  they 
told  of  their  Cuban  experiences  that  he  never 
noticed  how  much  his  father  and  Malcolm  were 
away  from  home.  Sometimes  they  would  be 


ISO     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

gone  all  day  together,  consulting  with  the 
old  professor,  overseeing  carpenters,  or  mak- 
ing hasty  trips  to  the  city.  Jonesy's  home, 
that  had  been  so  long  only  a  beautiful  air- 
castle,  was  rapidly  taking  shape  in  wood  and 
stone,  and  the  painters  would  soon  be  at  work 
on  it. 

Mr.  Maclntyre  had  never  been  more  surprised 
than  he  was  when  Malcolm  unfolded  their  plan 
to  him.  It  did  not  seem  possible  that  two  chil- 
dren could  have  thought  of  it  all,  and  arranged 
every  detail  without  the  help  of  some  older 
head. 

"It  just  grew,"  said  Malcolm,  in  explanation. 
"  First  Keith  said  how  lovely  it  would  have  been 
if  we  had  made  enough  money  at  the  Benefit  to 
have  bought  a  home  for  Jonesy  in  the  country, 
where  he  could  have  a  fair  chance  to  grow  up 
a  good  man.  Just  a  comfortable  little  cottage 
with  a  garden,  where  he  could  be  out-of-doors 
all  the  time,  instead  of  in  the  dirty  city  streets ; 
then  nobody  could  call  him  a  'child  of  the 
slums '  any  more.  Then  we  said  it  would  be 
better  if  there  were  some  fields  back  of  the 
garden,  so  that  he  could  learn  to  be  a  farmer 
when  he  was  older,  and  have  some  way  to  make 


"FAIRCHANCE."  l8l 

a  living.  We  talked  about  it  every  night  when 
we  went  to  bed,  and  kept  putting  a  little  more 
and  a  little  more  to  it,  until  it  was  as  real  to 
us  as  if  we  had  truly  seen  such  a  place.  There 
were  vines  on  the  porches,  and  a  big  Newfound- 
land dog  on  the  front  steps,  and  a  cow  and  calf 
in  the  pasture,  and  a  gentle  old  horse  that  could 
plough  and  that  Jonesy  could  ride  to  water. 

"We  told  Ginger,  and  she  thought  of  a  lot 
more  things  ;  some  little  speckled  pigs  in  a  pen, 
and  kittens  in  the  hay-mow,  and  ducks  on  the 
pond,  and  an  orchard,  and  roses  in  the  yard. 
She  said  we  ought  to  call  the  place  "  Fair- 
chance,"  because  that's  what  it  would  mean  for 
Jonesy  and  Barney  (you  know  we  would  send 
for  Barney  first  thing  we  did,  of  course),  and  it 
was  Ginger  who  first  thought  of  getting  some 
nice  man  and  his  wife  to  take  care  of  the  boys. 
She  said  there  are  plenty  of  people  who  would 
be  glad  to  do  it,  just  for  the  sake  of  having 
such  a  good  home.  Ginger  said  if  we  could  do 
all  that,  and  keep  Jonesy  and  his  brother  from 
growing  up  to  be  tramps  like  the  man  we 
bought  the  bear  from,  it  would  be  serving  our 
country  just  as  much  as  if  we  went  to  war  and 
fought  for  it.  Ginger  is  a  crank  about  being  a 


1 82     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

patriot.  You  ought  to  hear  her  talk  about  it. 
And  Aunt  Allison  said  that  'an  ounce  of  pre- 
vention is  worth  a  pound  of  cure,'  and  that  to 
build  such  a  place  as  our  '  Fairchance  '  would  be 
a  deed  worthy  of  any  true  knight." 

"  How  are  you  expecting  to  bring  this  won- 
derful thing  to  pass  ? "  asked  his  father,  as 
Malcolm  stopped  to  take  breath.  "  Do  you 
expect  to  wave  a  wand  and  see  it  spring  uj 
out  of  the  earth  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not,  papa  !  "  said  Malcolm,  a  little 
provoked  by  his  father's  teasing  smile.  "  We 
were  going  to  ask  you  to  let  us  take  the  money 
that  grandfather  left  us  in  his  will.  We  won't 
need  it  when  we  are  grown,  for  we  can  earn 
plenty  ourselves  then,  and  it  seems  too  bad  to 
have  it  laid  away  doing  nobody  any  good,  when 
we  need  it  so  much  now  to  right  this  wrong  of 
Jonesy's." 

"But  it  is  not  laid  away,"  answered  Mr.  Mac- 
Intyre.  "  It  is  invested  in  such  a  way  that  it 
is  earning  you  more  money  every  year ;  and 
more  than  that,  it  was  left  in  trust  for  you,  so 
that  it  cannot  be  touched  until  you  are  twenty- 
one." 

""Oh,  papa  !  "  cried   Malcolm,  bitterly  disap- 


"  FAIRCHANCE."  183 

pointed.  He  had  hard  work  to  keep  back  the 
tears  for  a  moment  ;  then  a  happy  thought 
made  his  face  brighten.  "You  could  lend  us 
the  money,  and  we  would  pay  you  back  when 
we  are  of  age.  You  know  you  promised  Keith 
you  would  do  anything  he  wanted,  and  that  is 
what  he  was  trying  to  ask  for  ?  " 

Mr.  Maclntyre  put  his  arm  around  the  ear- 
nest little  fellow,  and  drew  him  to  his  knee,  smil- 
ing down  into  the  upturned  face  that  waited 
eagerly  for  his  answer. 

"  I  only  asked  that  to  hear  what  you  would 
say,  my  son,"  was  the  answer.  "  You  need 
have  no  worry  about  the  money.  I'll  keep  my 
promise  to  Keith,  and  Jonesy  shall  have  his 
home.  I'm 'not  a  knight,  but  I'm  proud  to 
be  the  father  of  two  such  valiant  champions. 
Please  God,  you'll  not  be  alone  in  your  battles 
after  this,  to  right  the  world's  wrongs.  I'll  be 
your  faithful  squire,  or,  as  we'd  say  in  these 
days,  a  sort  of  silent  partner  in  the  enterprise." 

Several  days  after  this  a  deed  was  recorded 
in  the  county  court-house,  conveying  a  large 
piece  of  property  from  old  Colonel  Lloyd  to 
Malcolm  and  Keith  Maclntyre.  It  was  the 
place  adjoining  "The  Locusts,"  on  which  stood 


1 84     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

a  fine  old  homestead  that  had  been  vacant  for 
several  years.  The  day  after  its  purchase  a 
force  of  carpenters  and  painters  were  set  to 
work,  and  two  coloured  men  began  clearing 
out  the  tangle  of  bushes  in  the  long-neglected 
garden. 

Jonesy  know  nothing  of  what  was  going  on, 
and  wondered  at  the  long  conversations  which 
took  place  between  the  old  professor  and  Mr. 
Maclntyre,  always  in  German.  It  was  the  pro- 
fessor who  found  some  one  to  take  care  of  the 
home,  as  Virginia  had  suggested.  He  recom- 
mended a  countryman  of  his,  Carl  Sudsberger, 
who  had  long  been  a  teacher  like  himself.  He 
was  a  gentle  old  soul  who  loved  children  and 
understood  them,  and  a  more  motherly  crea- 
ture than  his  wife  could  not  well  be  imagined. 
Everything  throve  under  her  thrifty  manage- 
ment, and  she  had  no  patience  with  laziness  or 
waste.  Any  boy  in  whose  bringing  up  she  had 
a  hand  would  be  able  to  make  his  way  in  the 
world  when  the  time  came  for  it. 

Mrs.  Dudley  and  Miss  Allison  helped  choose 
the  furnishings,  but  Virginia  felt  that  the  pleas- 
ure of  it  was  all  hers,  for  she  was  taken  to  the 
city  every  time  they  went,  and  allowed  a  voice 


"FAIRCHANCE."  185 

in  everything.  Several  trips  were  necessary 
before  the  house  was  complete,  but  by  the  last 
week  in  May  it  was  ready  from  attic  to  cellar. 

It  was  the  "Fairchance"  that  the  boys  had 
planned  so  long,  with  its  rose-bordered  paths, 
the  orchard  and  garden  and  outlying  fields. 
Nothing  had  been  forgotten,  from  the  big  New- 
foundland dog  on  the  doorstep,  to  the  ducks  on 
the  pond,  and  the  little  speckled  pigs  in  the  pen. 
The  day  that  Keith  was  able  to  walk  down- 
stairs for  the  first  time,  Mr.  Maclntyre  went  to 
Chicago,  taking  Jonesy  with  him,  to  find 
Barney  and  bring  him  back.  He  was  gone 
several  days,  and  when  he  returned  there  were 
three  boys  with  him  instead  of  two  :  Jonesy, 
Barney,  and  a  little  fellow  about  five  years  old, 
still  in  dresses. 

Malcolm  met  them  at  the  train,  and  eyed  the 
small  newcomer  with  curiosity.  "  It  is  a  little 
chap  that  Barney  had  taken  under  his  wing," 
explained  Mr.  Maclntyre.  "  Its  mother  was 
dead,  and  I  found  it  was  entirely  dependent 
on  Barney  for  support.  They  slept  together  in 
the  same  cellar,  and  shared  whatever  he  hap- 
pened to  earn,  just  as  Jonesy  did.  I  hadn't  the 
heart  to  leave  him  behind,  although  I  didn't 


1 86     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

relish  the  idea  of  travelling  with  such  a  kinder- 
garten. Would  you  believe  it,  Dodds  (that's 
the  little  fellow's  name)  never  saw  a  tree  in  his 


life  until  yesterday  ?  He  had  never  been  out  of 
the  slums  where  he  was  born,  not  even  to  the 
avenues  of  the  city  where  he  could  have  seen 
them.  It  was  too  far  for  him  to  walk  alone,  and 
street-cars  were  out  of  the  question  for  him,  —  as 


"FAIRCHANCE."  l8/ 

much  out  of  reach  of  his  empty  pockets  as  the 
moon." 

"  Never  saw  a  tree !  "  echoed  Malcolm,  with 
a  thrill  of  horror  in  his  voice  that  a  life  could 
be  so  bare  in  its  knowledge  of  beauty.  "Oh, 
papa,  how  much  '  Fairchance  '  will  mean  to  him, 
then  !  Oh,  I'm  so  glad,  and  Keith  —  why, 
Keith  will  want  to  stand  on  his  head ! " 

They  drove  directly  to  the  new  place.  It 
was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  sunshine 
threw  long,  waving  shadows  across  the  yard. 
Mrs.  Sudsberger  sat  on  the  front  porch  knit- 
ting. A  warm  breeze  blowing  in  from  the 
garden  stirred  the  white  window  curtains  be- 
hind her  with  soft  flutterings.  The  coloured 
woman  in  the  kitchen  was  singing  as  she 
moved  around  preparing  supper,  and  her  voice 
floated  cheerily  around  the  corner  of  the 
house : 

"  Swing   low,    sweet    chariot,  comin'   fer   to   carry   me 

home, 

Swing  low,   sweet  char-i-<?/,   comfn'   fer  to  carry  me 
home ! " 

A  Jersey  cow  lowed  at  the  pasture  bars,  and 
from  away  over  in  the  woodland  came  the 


1 88     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

cooing  of  a  dove.  Three  little  waifs  had  found 
a  home. 

Mr.  Maclntyre  looked  from  the  commonplace 
countenances  of  the  boys  climbing  out  of  the 
carriage  to  Malcolm's  noble  face.  "  It  is  a 
doubtful  experiment,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  They  may  never  amount  to  anything,  but 
at  least  they  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  what 
clean,  honest,  country  living  can  do  for  them." 
And  then  there  swept  across  his  heart,  with  a 
warm,  generous  rush,  the  impulse  to  do  as 
much  for  every  other  unfortunate  child  he 
could  reach,  whose  only  heritage  is  the  pov- 
erty and  crime  of  city  slums.  He  had  seen 
so  much  in  that  one  short  visit.  The  misery 
of  it  haunted  him,  and  it  was  with  a  happiness 
as  boyish  and  keen  as  Malcolm's  that  he  led 
these  children  he  had  rescued  into  the  home 
that  was  to  be  theirs  henceforth. 

Keith  did  not  see  "  Fairchance  "  until  Memo- 
rial Day.  Then  they  took  him  over  in  the  car- 
riage in  the  afternoon,  and  showed  him  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  place.  There  were  six 
boys  there  now,  for  room  had  been  made  for  two 
little  fellows  from  Louisville,  whom  Mr.  Macln- 
tyre had  found  at  the  Newsboys'  Home.  "  I've 


"FA1RCHANCE."  189 

no  doubt  but  that  there'll  always  be  more  com- 
ing," he  said  to  Mr.  Sudsberger,  with  a  smile,  as 
he  led  them  in.  "  When  you  once  let  a  little 
water  trickle  through  the  dyke,  the  whole  sea  is 
apt  to  come  pouring  in." 

"  Happy  the  heart  that  is  swept  with  such 
high  tides,"  answered  the  old  German.  "  It  is 
left  the  richer  by  such  floods." 

Several  families  in  the  Valley  were  invited  to 
come  late  in  the  afternoon  to  a  flag-raising. 
The  great  silk  flag  was  Virginia's  gift,  and 
Captain  Dudley  made  the  presentation  speech. 
He  wore  his  uniform  in  honour  of  the  occasion. 
This  was  a  part  of  what  he  said  : 

"  This  Memorial  Day,  throughout  this  wide- 
spread land  of  ours,  over  every  mound  that 
marks  a  soldier's  dust,  some  hand  is  stretched 
to  drop  a  flower  in  tender  tribute.  Over  her 
heroic  dead  a  grateful  country  wreathes  the  red 
of  her  roses,  the  white  of  her  lilies,  and  the 
blue  of  her  forget-me-nots,  repeating  even  in 
the  sweet  syllables  of  the  flowers  the  symbol  of 
her  patriotism,  —  the  red,  white,  and  blue  of  her 
war-stained  banner. 

"  My  friends,  I  have  followed  the  old  flag  into 
more  than  one  battle.  I  have  seen  men  charge 


I9O     TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 

after  it  through  blinding  smoke  and  hail  ot 
bullets,  and  I  have  seen  them  die  for  it.  No 
one  feels  more  deeply  than  I  what  a  glorious 
thing  it  is  to  die  for  one's  country,  but  I  want 
to  say  to  these  little  lads  looking  up  at  this 
great  flag  fluttering  over  us,  that  it  is  not  half 
so  noble,  half  so  brave,  as  to  live  for  it,  to  give 
yourselves  in  untiring,  every-day  living  to  your 
country's  good.  To  'let  all  the  ends  thou 
aim'st  at  be  thy  country's,  thy  God's,  and 
truth's.'  I  would  rather  have  that  said  of  me, 
that  I  did  that,  than  to  be  the  greatest  general 
of  my  day.  I  would  rather  be  the  founder  of 
homes  like  this  one  than  to  manoeuvre  success- 
fully the  greatest  battles. 

"  May  the  « Two  Little  Knights  of  Kentucky  ' 
go  on,  out  through  the  land,  carrying  their 
motto  with  them,  until  the  last  wrong  is  righted, 
and  wherever  the  old  flag  floats  a  '  fair  chance ' 
may  be  found  for  every  one  that  lives  beneath 
it.  And  may  these  Stars  and  Stripes,  as  they 
rise  and  fall  on  the  winds  of  this  peaceful 
valley,  whisper  continuously  that  same  motto, 
until  its  lessons  of  truth  and  purity  and  unself- 
ish service  have  been  blazoned  on  the  hearts  of 
every  boy  who  calls  this  home.  May  it  help 


"FAIRCHANCE."  IQl 

to  make  him   a  true  knight    in    his    country's 
cause." 

There  was  music  after  that,  and  then  old 
Colonel  Lloyd  made  a  speech,  and  Virginia  and 
the  Little  Colonel  gathered  roses  out  of  the  old 
garden,  so  that  every  one  could  wear  a  bunch. 
A  little  later  they  had  supper  on  the  lawn, 
picnic  fashion,  and  then  drove  home  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening,  when  all  the  meadows  were  full 
of  soft  flashings  from  the  fairy  torches  of  a 
million  fireflies. 

With  Keith  safely  covered  up  in  a  hammock, 
they  lingered  on  the  porch  long  after  the  stars 
came  out,  and  the  dew  lay  heavy  on  the  roses. 
They  were  building  other  air-castles  now,  to  be 
rebuilt  some  day,  as  Jonesy's  home  had  been  ; 
only  these  were  still  larger  and  better.  The 
older  people  were  planning,  too,  and  all  the 
good  that  grew  out  of  that  quiet  evening  talk 
can  never  be  known  until  that  day  comes  when 
the  King  shall  read  all  the  names  in  his  Hall 
of  the  Shields. 

"  It  has  been  such  a  beautiful  day,"  said 
Virginia,  leaning  her  head  happily  against  her 
mother's  shoulder.  Then  she  started  up,  sud 
denly  remembering  something.  "  Oh,  papa  !  " 


TWO    LITTLE    KNIGHTS    OF    KENTUCKY. 


she  cried,  "  let's  end  it  as  they  do  at  the  fort, 
with  the  bugle-call.  I'll  run  and  get  my  old 
bugle,  and  you  play  'taps.'  " 

A  few  minutes  later  the  silvery  notes  went 
floating  out  on  the  warm  night  air,  through  all 
the  peaceful  valley  ;  over  the  mounds  in  the 
little  churchyard,  wreathed  now  with  their 
fresh  memorial  roses  ;  past  "  The  Locusts " 
where  the  Little  Colonel  lay  a-dreaming.  Over 
the  woods  and  fields  they  floated,  until  they 
reached  the  flag  that  kept  its  fluttering  vigil 
over  "  Fairchance." 

Jonesy  sat  up  in  bed  to  listen.  Many  a 
reveille  would  sound  before  his  full  awakening 
to  all  that  the  two  little  knights  had  made 
possible  for  him,  but  the  sweet.,  dim  dream  of 
the  future  that  stole  into  his  grateful  little 
heart  was  an  earnest  of  what  was  in  store  for 
him.  Then  the  bugle-call,  falling  through  the 
starlight  like  a  benediction,  closed  the  happy 
day  with  its  peaceful  "  Good  night." 

THE  END 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  that  this  series  shall 
contain  only  the  very  highest  and  purest  literature, — 
stories  that  shall  not  only  appeal  to  the  children  them- 
selves, but  be  appreciated  by  all  those  who  feel  with 
them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  each  book  are  by  well- 
known  artists,  and  each  volume  has  a  separate  attrac- 
tive cover  design. 

Each  i  vol.,  i6mo,  cloth  =         .         .         $0.50 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 

The  Little  Colonel.  (Trade  Mark.) 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Kentucky.  Its  hero- 
ine is  a  small  girl,  who  is  known  as  the  Little  Colonel, 
on  account  of  her  fancied  resemblance  to  an  old-school 
Southern  gentleman,  whose  fine  estate  and  old  family 
are  famous  in  the  region. 

The  Giant  Scissors. 

This  is  the  story  of  Joyce  and  of  her  adventures 
in  France.  Joyce  is  a  great  friend  of  the  Little  Colonel, 
and  in  later  volumes  shares  with  her  the  delightful  ex- 
periences of  the  "  House  Party"  and  the  "  Holidays." 

Two  Little  Knights  of  Kentucky. 

WHO  WERE  THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  NEIGHBORS. 

In  this  volume  the  Little  Colonel  returns  to  us  like  an 
old  friend,  but  with  added  grace  and  charm.  She  is 
not,  however,  the  central  figure  of  the  story,  that  place 
being  taken  by  the  "  two  little  knights." 

Mildred's  Inheritance. 

A  delightful  little  story  of  a  lonely  English  girl  who* 
comes  to  America  and  is  befriended  by  a  sympathetic 
American  family  who  are  attracted  by  her  beautiful 
speaking  voice.  By  means  of  this  one  gift  she  is  en- 
abled to  help  a  school-girl  who  has  temporarily  lost  the 
use  of  her  eyes,  and  thus  finally  her  life  becomes  a  busy, 
happy  one. 

B-l 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND    COMPANY'S 
By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON  (Continued) 

Cicely  and  Other  Stories  for  Girls. 

The  readers  of  Mrs.  Johnston's  charming  juveniles 
will  be  glad  to  learn  of  the  issue  of  this  volume  for 
young  people. 

Aunt  'Liza's  Hero  and  Other  Stories. 

A  collection  of  six  bright  little  stories,  which  will 
appeal  to  all  boys  and  most  girls. 

Big  Brother. 

A  story  of  two  boys.  The  devotion  and  care  of 
Steven,  himself  a  small  boy,  for  his  baby  brother,  is  the 
theme  of  the  simple  tale. 

Ole  Mammy's  Torment. 

"  Ole  Mammy's  Torment"  has  been  fitly  called  "a 
classic  of  Southern  life."  It  relates  the  haps  and  mis- 
haps of  a  small  negro  lad,  and  tells  how  he  was  led  by 
love  and  kindness  to  a  knowledge  of  the  right. 

The  Story  of  Dago. 

In  this  story  Mrs.  Johnston  relates  the  story  of  Dago, 
a  pet  monkey,  owned  jointly  by  two  brothers.  Dago 
tells  his  own  story,  and  the  account  of  his  haps  and  mis- 
haps is  both  interesting  and  amusing. 

The  Quilt  That  Jack  Built. 

A  pleasant  little  story  of  a  boy's  labor  of  love,  and 
how  it  changed  the  course  of  his  life  many  years  after 
it  was  accomplished. 

Flip's  Islands  of  Providence. 

A  story  of  a  boy's  life  battle,  his  early  defeat,  and  his 
final  triumph,  well  worth  the  reading. 


COSY   CORNER   SERIES 


By  EDITH  ROBINSON 

A  Little  Puritan's  First  Christmas. 

A  story  of  Colonial  times  in  Boston,  telling  how 
Christmas  was  invented  by  Betty  Sewall,  a  typical  child 
of  the  Puritans,  aided  by  her  brother  Sam. 

A  Little  Daughter  of  Liberty. 

The  author's  motive  for  this  story  is  well  indicated  by 
a  quotation  from  her  introduction,  as  follows: 

"  One  ride  is  memorable  in  the  early  history  of  tlie 
American  Revolution,  the  well-known  ride  of  Paul 
Revere.  Equally  deserving  of  commendation  is  another 
ride,  —  the  ride  of  Anthony  Severn,  —  which  was  no  less 
historic  in  its  action  or  memorable  in  its  consequences." 

A  Loyal  Littic  JYlaid. 

A  delightful  and  interesting  story  of  Revolutionary 
days,  in  which  the  child  heroine,  Betsey  Schuyler, 
renders  important  services  to  George  Washington. 

A  Little  Puritan  Rebel. 

This  is  an  historical  tale  of  a  real  girl,  during  the 
time  when  the  gallant  Sir  Harry  Vane  was  governor  of 
Massachusetts. 

A  Little  Puritan  Pioneer. 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  the  Puritan  settlement 
at  Charlestown.  The  little  girl  heroine  adds  another  to 
the  list  of 'favorites  so  well  known  to  the  young  people. 

A  Little  Puritan  Bound  Girl. 

A  story  of  Boston  in  Puritan  days,  which  is  of  great 
interest  to  youthful  readers. 

A  Little  Puritan  Cavalier. 

The  story  of  a  "  Little  Puritan  Cavalier "  who  tried 
with  all  his  boyish  enthusiasm  to  emulate  the  spirt  and 
ideals  of  the  dead  Crusaders 

B—S 


L.  C.   PAGE   AND   COMPANY'S 


By  QUID  A  (Louise  de  la  Ramte) 

A   Dog  Of    Flanders  :  A  CHRISTMAS  STORY. 
Too  well  and  favorably  known  to  require  description, 

The  Nurnberg  Stove. 

This  beautiful  story  has  never  before  been  published 
at  a  popular  price. 

By  FRANCES  MARGARET  FOX 

The  Little  Giant's  Neighbours. 

A  charming  nature  story  of  a  "little  giant"  whose 
neighbours  were  the  creatures  of  the  field  and  garden. 

Farmer  Brown  and  the  Birds. 

A  little  story  which  teaches  children  that  the  birds 
are  man's  best  friends. 

Betty  of  Old  Mackinaw. 

A  charming  story  of  child-life,  appealing  especially  to 
the  little  readers  who  like  stories  of  "real  people." 

Brother  Billy. 

The  story  of  Betty's  brother,  and  some  further  ad- 
ventures of  Betty  herself. 

Mother  Nature's  Little  Ones. 

Curious  little  sketches  describing  the  early  lifetime, 
or  "childhood,"  of  the  little  creatures  out-of-doors. 

How  Christmas  Came  to  the  Mul- 
vaneys. 

A  bright,  lifelike  little  story  of  a  family  of  poor  chil- 
dren, with  an  unlimited  capacity  for  fun  and  mischief. 
The  wonderful  never-to-be  forgotten  Christmas  that 
came  to  them  is  the  climax  of  a  series  of  exciting  inci- 
dents. 

B-4 


COSF  CORNER   SERIES 


By   MISS  MULOCK 

The  Little  Lame  Prince. 

A  delightful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  has  many  ad- 
ventures by  means  of  the  magic  gifts  of  his  fairy  god- 
mother. 

Adventures  of  a  Brownie, 

The  story  of  a  household  elf  who  torments  the  cook 
and  gardener,  but  is  a  constant  joy  and  delight  to  the 
children  who  love  and  trust  him. 

His  Little  Mother. 

Miss  Mulock's  short  stones  for  children  are  a  constant 
source  of  delight  to  them,  and  "  His  Little  Mother,"  in 
this  new  and  attractive  dress,  will  be  welcomed  by  hosts 
of  youthful  readers. 

Little  Sunshine's  Holiday. 

An  attractive  story  of  a  summer  outing.  "  Little  Sun- 
shine "  is  another  of  those  beautiful  child-characters  for 
which  Miss  Mulock  is  so  justly  famous. 

By   MARSHALL    SAUNDERS 

For  His  Country. 

A  sweet  and  graceful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  loved 
his  country;  written  with  that  charm  which  has  endeared 
Miss  Saunders  to  hosts  of  readers 

Nita,  the  Story  of  an  Irish  Setter. 

In  this  touching  little  book,  Miss  Saunders  shows  how 
dear  to  her  heart  are  all  of  God's  dumb  creatures. 

Alpatok,   the  Story  of  an    Eskimo 
Dog. 

Alpatok,  an  Eskimo  dog  from  the  far  north,  was  stolen 
from  his  master  and  left  to  starve  in  a  strange  city,  but 
was  befriended  and  cared  for,  until  he  was  able  to  re- 
turn to  his  owner. 

B  — 5 


L,    C.   PAGE  AND    COMPANY'S 
By  WILL  ALLEN  DROMGOOLE 

The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow. 

This  story,  written  by  the  gifted  young  Southern 
woman,  will  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  in  the  natures  of 
the  many  admirers  of  her  graceful  and  piquant  style. 

The  Fortunes  of  the  Fellow. 

Those  who  read  and  enjoyed  the  pathos  and  charm 
of  "  The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow  "  will  welcome 
the  further  account  of  the  adventures  of  Baydaw  and 
the  Fellow  at  the  home  of  the  kindly  smith. 

The  Best  of  Friends. 

This  continues  the  experiences  of  the  Farrier's  dog  and 
his  Fellow,  written  in  Miss  Dromgoole's  well-known 
charming  style. 

Down  in  Dixie. 

A  fascinating  story  for  boys  and  girls,  of  a  family  of 
Alabama  children  who  move  to  Florida  and  grow  up  in 
the  South. 


By  MARIAN  W.   WILDMAN 

Loyalty  Island. 

An  account  of  the  adventures  of  four  children  and 
their  pet  dog  on  an  island,  and  how  they  cleared  their 
brother  from  the  suspicion  of  dishonesty. 

Theodore  and  Theodora. 

This  is  a  story  of  the  exploits  and  mishaps  of  two  mis 
chievous  twins,  and    continues    the    adventures    of    the 
interesting  group  of  children  in  "  Loyalty  Island." 
B— e 


COSY   CORNER   SERIES 


By  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS 

The  Cruise  of  the  Yacht  Dido. 

The  story  of  two  boys  who  turned  their  yacht  into  a 
fishing  boat  to  earn  money  to  pay  for  a  college  course, 
and  of  their  adventures  while  exploring  in  search  of 
hidden  treasure. 

The  Lord  of  the  Air 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  EAGLE 

The  King  of  the  Mamozekel 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  MOOSE 

The  Watchers  of  the  Camp=fire 

THE   STORY   OF   THE    PA1S7THER 

The  Haunter  of  the  Pine  Gloom 

THE    STORY   OF   THE   LYNX 

The  Return  to  the  Trails 

THE    STORY    OF   THE   BEAR 

The  Little  People  of  the  Sycamore 

THE    STORY   OF    THE    RACCOON 

By   OTHER  AUTHORS 

The  Great  Scoop. 

By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEA  WELL 

A  capital  tale  of  newspaper  life  in  a  big  city,  and 
of  a  bright,  enterprising,  likable  youngster  employed 
thereon . 

John  Whopper. 

The  late  Bishop  Clark's  popular  story  of  the  boy  who 
fell  through  the  earth  and  came  out  in  China,  with  a 
new  introduction  by  Bishop  Potter. 
B-7 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND   COMPANY 


The  Dole  Twins. 

By  KA  TE  UPSON  CLARK 

The  adventures  of  two  little  people  who  tried  to  earn 
money  to  buy  crutches  for  a  lame  aunt.  An  excellent 
description  of  child-life  about  1812,  which  will  greatly 
interest  and  amuse  the  children  of  to-day,  whose  life  is 
widely  different. 

Larry  Hudson's  Ambition. 

By  JAMES  OTIS,  author  of  "Toby Tyler,"  etc. 

Larry  Hudson  is  a  typical  American  boy,  whose  hard 
work  and  enterprise  gain  him  his  ambition,  —  an  educa- 
tion and  a  start  in  the  world. 

The  Little  Christmas  Shoe. 

By  JANE  P.  SCOTT  WOODRUFF 
A  touching  story  of  Yule-tide. 

Wee  Dorothy. 

By  LAURA   UPDEGRAFF 

A  story  of  two  orphan  children,  the  tender  devotion 
of  the  eldest,  a  boy,  for  his  sister  being  its  theme  and 
setting.  With  a  bit  of  sadness  at  the  beginning,  the 
story  is  otherwise  bright  and  sunny,  and  altogether 
wholesome  in  every  way. 

The  King  of  the  Golden   River:    A 

LEGEND  OF  STIRIA.     By  JOHN RUSK  IN 
Written  fifty  years  or  more   ago,   and  not  originally 
intended  for  publication,  this  little  fairy-tale  soon  be- 
came known  and  made  a  place  for  itself. 

A  Child's  Garden  of  Verses. 

By  L.  R.  STEVENSON 

Mr.  Stevenson's  little  volume  is  too  well  known  to 
need  description. 

B  — 8 


THE  GOLDENROD  LIBRARY 

The  Goldenrod  Library  contains  stories  which  appeal 
alike  both  to  children  and  to  their  parents  and  guardians. 

Each  volume  is  well  illustrated  from  drawings  by 
competent  artists,  which,  together  with  their  handsomely 
decorated  uniform  binding,  showing  the  goldenrod, 
usually  considered  the  emblem  of  America,  is  a  feature 
of  their  manufacture,. 

Each  one  volume,  small   izmo,  illustrated,         $0.35 

LIST  OF  TITLES 

Aunt  Nabby's  Children.     By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Child's  Dream  of  a  Star,  The.     By  Charles  Dickens. 
Flight  of  Rosy  Dawn,  The.  By  Pauline  Bradford  Mackie. 
Findelkind.     By  Ouida. 

Fairy  of  the  Rhone,   The.     By  A.  Comyns  Carr. 
Qatty  and  I.     By  Frances  E.  Crompton, 
Great  Emergency,,  A.     By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing. 
Helena's  Wonderworld.     By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Jackanapes.     By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing. 
Jerry's  Reward.     By  Evelyn  Snead  Barnett. 
La  Belle  Nivernaise.    By  Alphonse  Daudet. 
Little  King  Davie0     By  Nellie  Hellis. 
Little  Peterkin  Vandike.     By  Charles  Stuart  Pratt. 
Little  Professor,  The.     By  Ida  Horton  Cash. 
Peggy'"  Trial.     By  Mary  Knight  Potter. 
Prince  Yellowtop.     By  Kate  Whiting  Patch. 
Provence  Rose,  A.    By  Ouida. 
Rab  and  His  Friends.     By  Dr.  John  Brown. 
Seventh  Daughter,  A.     By  Grace  Wickham  Curran. 
Sleeping  Beauty,  The.     By  Martha  Baker  Dunn. 
Small,  Small  Child,  A.     By  E.  Livingston  Prescott. 
Story  of  a  Short  Life,  The.      By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing 
Susanne.     By  Frances  J.  Delano. 
Water  People,  The.     By  Charles  Lee  Sleight. 
Young  Archer,  The.     By  Charles  E.  Brimblecom. 

B-e 


THE  LITTLE  COUSIN  SERIES 


The  most  delightful  and  interesting  accounts  possible 
of  child-life  in  other  lands,  filled  with  quaint  sayings, 
doings,  and  adventures. 

Each  i  vol.,  i2mo,  decorative  cover,  cloth,  with  six 
or  more  full-page  illustrations  in  color. 


Price  per  volume     . 

By  MARY  HAZELTON  WADE   (unless  otherwise 
indicated') 

Our  Little  African  Cousin         Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin      Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin  Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

.,„,.-.  By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 
By  Elizabeth  R.  Macdonald       Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 


Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 

Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
B  — 1O 


By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 

Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon  -  Roulet 

Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 

Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 
THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  BOOKS 

(Trade  Mark) 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 
Each  i  vol.,  large  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  per  vol    $1.50 

The  Little  Colonel  Stories. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated. 

Being  three  "  Little  Colonel "  stories  in  the  Cosy 
Corner  Series,  "  The  Little  Colonel,"  "  Two  Little  Knights 
of  Kentucky,"  and  "  The  Giant  Scissors,"  put  into  a 
single  volume. 

The  Little  Colonel's  House  Party. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  Louis  Meynell. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Holidays. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Hero. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The    Little    Colonel    at    Boarding 

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School. 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel  in  Arizona. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Christmas  Va= 

(Trade  Mark) 

cation. 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel,  Maid  of  Honour. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

B— 11 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND    COMPANY'S 


The  Little  Colonel. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Two  Little  Knights  of  Kentucky. 
The  Giant  Scissors. 

Special  Holiday  Editions 

Each  one  volume,  cloth  decorative,  small  quarto,  $i  .25 
New  plates,   handsomely  illustrated,  with  eight  full- 
page  drawings  in  color. 

"  There  are  no  brighter  or  better  stories  for  boys  and  girls 
than  these  " — Chicago  Record- Herald. 

"  The  books  are  as  satisfactory  to  the  small  girls,  who  find 
them  adorable,  as  for  the  mothers  and  librarians,  who  delight 
in  their  influence." — Christian  Register. 

These  three  volumes,  boxed  as  a  three-volume  set  to 
complete  the  library  edition  of  The  Little  Colonel  books, 

$3-75- 

In  the  Desert  of  Waiting:    THE  LEGEND 

OF  CAMELBACK  MOUNTAIN. 

The  Three  Weavers :    A  FAIRY  TALE  FOR 

FATHERS  AND  MOTHERS  AS  WELL  AS  FOR  THEIR 
DAUGHTERS. 

Keeping  Tryst. 

Each  one  volume,  tall  i6mo,  cloth  decorative .     $0.50 
Paper  boards  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .35 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  for  publication 
in  separate  form  of  these  three  stories,  which  were  orig- 
inally included  in  three  of  the  "  Little  Colonel"  books. 

Joel  :    A    Boy  Of   Galilee.      By  ANNIE    FEL- 
LOWS JOHNSTON.     Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 
New    illustrated    edition,    uniform    with     the    Little 
Colonel   Books,  i  vol.,  large  I2mo,  cloth  decorative, 

$i  50 

A  story  of  the  time  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the 
author's  best-known  books,  and  which  has  been  trans- 
lated into  many  languages,  the  last  being  Italian. 

B— 12 


Asa   Holmes;    OR,  AT  THE  CROSS -ROADG.     A 
sketch    of  Country    Life    and    Country    Humor.     By 
ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON.     With  a  frontispiece  by 
Ernest  Fosbery. 
Large  i6mo,  cloth,  gilt  top       ....    $1.00 

"'Asa  Holmes;  or,  At  the  C  ross- Roads  '  is  the  most  de- 
lightful, most  sympathetic  and  wholesome  book  that  has 
been  published  in  a  long  while.  The  lovable,  cheerful,  touch- 
ing incidents,  the  descriptions  of  persons  and  things,  are 
wonderfully  true  to  nature." — Boston  Times. 

The  Rival  Campers  J  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES 

OF  HENRY  BURNS.     By  RUEL  P.  SMITH. 
Square   I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    by  A.  B. 
Shute  o $1.50 

Here  is  a  book  which  will  grip  and  enthuse  every 
boy  reader.  It  is  the  story  of  a  party  of  typical  Amer- 
ican lads,  courageous,  alert,  and  athletic,  who  spend  a 
summer  camping  on  an  island  off  the  Maine  coast. 

"  The  best  boys'  book  since  '  Tom  Sawyer.'  "  —  San  Fran- 
cisco Examiner. 

"Henry  Burns,  the  hero,  is  the  'Tom  Brown*  of  Amer- 
ica." —  N.  Y.  Sun. 

The  Rival   Campers  Afloat ;    OR,  THE 

PRIZE  YACHT  VIKING      By  RUEL  P.  SMITH,  author 

of  "  The  Rival  Campers." 

Square  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated        .     $1.50 

This  book  is  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of 
"  The  Rival  Campers "  on  their  prize  yacht  Viking. 
Every  reader  will  be  enthusiastic  over  the  adventures 
of  Henry  Burns  and  his  friends  on  their  sailing  trip. 
They  have  a  splendid  time,  fishing,  racing,  and  sailing, 
until  an  accidental  collision  results  in  a  series  of  ex- 
citing adventures,  culminating  in  a  mysterious  chase, 
the  loss  of  their  prize  yacht,  and  its  recapture  by 
means  of  their  old  yacht,  Surprise,  which  they  raise 
from  its  watery  grave. 

B— 13 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND    COMPANY'S 


The  Young  Section=hand ;  OR,  THE  AD 

VENTURES  OF   ALLAN  WEST.       By  BURTON    E    STEV- 
ENSON, author  of  "  The  Marathon  Mystery,"  etc. 
I2mo,  cloth,  illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman       .     $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who 
is  given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western 
railroad,  and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are 
thrilling. 

"  It  appeals  to  every  boy  of  enterprising  spirit,  and  at  the 
same  time  teaches  him  some  valuable  lessons  in  honor, 
pluck,  and  perseverance."  —  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 

The  Young  Train  Despatcher.  By  BUR 

TON  E.  STEVENSON,  author  of  "  The  Young  Section- 
hand,"  etc. 

Square  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  $1.50 
A  new  volume  in  the  "  Railroad  Series,"  in  which  the 
young  section-hand  is  promoted  to  a  train  despatcher. 
Another  branch  of  railroading  is  presented,  in  which 
the  young  hero  has  many  chances  to  prove  his  manli- 
ness and  courage  in  the  exciting  adventures  which  be- 
fall him  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty. 

Jack    Lorimer.     By  WINN  STANDISH. 

Square  I2mo,  cloth  decorative.      Illustrated  by  A   B. 
Shute  .......     $1.50 

Jack  Lorimer,  whose  adventures  have  for  some  time 
been  one  of  the  leading  features  of  the  Boston  Sunday 
Herald,  is  the  popular  favorite  of  fiction  with  the  boys 
and  girls  of  New  England,  and,  now  that  Mr.  Standish 
has  made  him  the  hero  of  his  book,  he  will  soon  be  a 
favorite  throughout  the  country. 

Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American 
high-school  boy  He  has  the  sturdy  qualities  boys  ad- 
mire, and  his  fondness  for  clean,  honest  sport  of  all 
kinds  will  strike  a  chord  of  sympathy  among  athletic 
old  youths. 
U— 14 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


enewals 
10/8o-91 


DUE:  FEB 


UCLA  ACCESS  S 
interlibrary  Loans 

11 630  Young" 

BOX  951 575 

Los  Angeles 


0  3  2006 


3arch  Library 
90095-1575 


A    000126023 


